allAfrica.com: Botswana: Ten Years of BCP 'Is No Joke' (Page 1 of 2)

After scouting the political landscape in search of glory for the past 10 years, has the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) achieved its target?

This is a question asked by many as the BCP continues to brag about their achievements in the last 10 years as they head for Bobonong where the party holds its fourth congress.

From its formative days, the BCP envisaged itself growing into a party that would subsequently take over the reigns of power from the BDP. But, so far, there is nothing suggesting that the BCP will take over power in the next general election in 2009 or even in 2014.

What they have evidently achieved is ranking third after the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) and main opposition Botswana National Front (BNF). The BCP's growth could be measured against the fact that it has one MP and 36 councillors.

Definitely, numbers do not add up here. No wonder the party has been pressing for a hybrid of 'First-Past-The Post' and proportional representation as opposed to the BDP's winner takes all as the preferred system of elections. This record is haunting the BCP and it is bound to force the congress to discuss it as it examines while pondering the future.

Formed in 1998, the BCP can best be described as an offshoot of the main opposition Botswana National Front (BNF). It was after the 1998 BNF debacle in Palapye after tumultuous BNF congress that some party MPs decided to form their own party.

Amongst those who led the formation of the party were the fallen heroes Maitshwarelo Dabutha, Paul Rantao and Sidwell Gabatshwane. Other surviving politicians who were part of the 11 MPs are Vain Mamela, Gilson Saleshando, James Pilane and Michael Dikgake. The others, Isaac Mabiletsa, Mokgweetsi Kgosipula and Otlaadisa Koosaletsa have since returned to the BNF.

The first meeting to plot the formation of the BCP was in Mochudi at the Radikolo Junior Secondary School in 1998. Party slogans, colours, the name and other important things were decided at this meeting.

It was the delegates from Selebi Phikwe who came up with the name, which sounded like Botswana Congress Front (BCF) until the name was refined by the congress to become the BCP. The initial name was dismissed with the contempt it deserved because some people did not want anything to do with their former party. Even the party colours of gold, which stands out in the BF colours, was rejected outright.

Othaile Mabaila, former councillor and BCP activist created the party slogan of 'kgololo' which roughly translated means freedom. By breaking away from the BNF, the group led by majority MPs felt that they had gained some freedom from Dr. Kenneth Koma who was then leader of the BNF and was accused of treating the BNF like his personal property.

"The BNF politics was dominated by politics of personality cult then. We wanted to move to politics that cherished consensus and collective decision making," says a BCP activist.

It was also at Radikolo JSS that the party colours of black, green and white were agreed upon. BCP secretary general, Taolo Lucas, says the golden colour, which depicts progressive politics of the BNF, was resisted.

As for the rainbow on the BCP logo, which is associated with peace, it was Kabelo Lebotse, Botshabelo Bagwasi, and Gobe Matenge who, on registering the party, included the rainbow at the office of the registrar of societies.

As the BCP prepared for the registration process, there was a court case pending, which pitted the BNF leadership of Koma against those that had broken away to form the BCP.

Within the same year in 1998, Dingake who was previously the BNF vice president, was endorsed by the party at a Selebi Phikwe congress as its first elected president with the late Peba Sethantsho as his pioneering deputy.

In 2001, Koosaletse was elected in Mochudi as the BCP's second president until Saleshando took over at the congress held in Letlhakane. The party goes to Bobonong under the guidance of Saleshando who prides himself as one of the founders of the party.

He maintains that they have always depicted the BCP as a beacon of hope and an example of good governance.

"We have proved to all and sundry that we are a force to reckon with in terms of our growth. We were dismissed as a party without direction before but our record is showing that we have a clear path and good record," says Saleshando.

In the 1999 general election, the BCP was elected by about 40,000 and was able to overtake some of the oldest parties in the country. "We further demonstrated our strength in 2004 when about 70,000 people voted for the BCP. This is a clear sign that BCP is not a project formed on a weak foundation".

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