Mmegi/The Reporter (Gaborone)
10 July 2009
Francistown — It will take a miracle to stop the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) from holding congress and elections for the coveted Central Committee positions.
Calls from some quarters to do away with the democratic process in favour of a negotiated settlement or compromise appear to have fallen on deaf ears.
Champions of peace like former president Sir Ketumile Masire, renowned businessman and BDP treasurer Satar Dada, Gaborone-based attorney Parks Tafa, and President Ian Khama's younger brother Tshekedi Khama, tried to restore 'sanity' to their beloved party, in vain. Perhaps, this steadfastness by those who resist a compromise is a reflection of their readiness for the political fight.
With compromise out of the equation, the two warring camps are going for broke. The build-up to the congress has so far lived to expectations, leaving in its wake an indelible mark. There have been interesting skirmishes worth writing home about. Although there are many positions on offer, the one attracting much hullabaloo is that of BDP chairperson. The 2009 race between incumbent chairman, Daniel Kwelagobe and his challenger, Tebelelo Seretse is almost a replay of the 2003 tussle which pitted the strengths of then vice-president Ian Khama against the then incumbent Ponatshego 'Hallelujah' Kedikilwe, popularly known as PHK. Their race was founded on factional feuds along the then Mogae-Khama faction, which has since metamorphosed into the so-called Nkate-Merafhe and Kedikilwe-Kwelagobe axis.
The players in the chairmanship race may be different but the tempo and atmosphere of the game is as electrifying as it was then. Exactly who is Kwelagobe or DK, as he is known? Kwelagobe is the face of Barataphathi in the tussle for the prestigious chairmanship position. The question is: Has the Barataphati made a wise political move by pinning its hopes on DK? Is he the right candidate to deliver an outcome that this faction desires?
In deciding on the candidate the faction was fully alive to what is at stake. Presumably each camp left nothing to chance. As for the Barathapahati faction theirs is a life and death struggle. The faction knows far too well that they cannot afford to falter in any way for the simple reason that consequences of failure equal condemnation to the dustbins of history. So early in the game the rival faction made no secret about its intention to wipe Kwelagobe (citadel of his faction) from off political map. The drama began when President Khama, in exercising his presidential prerogative, dropped DK from his cabinet. Kwelagobe's men were stunned but not paralysed. Like loyal foot soldiers reacting to news of the capture of the general by enemy forces, Barathapathi's reaction was swift and sharp. The principle of 'an injury to one is an injury to all' became the rallying point for the Barathaphati. With the cabinet door slammed in his face, the only solace for Kwelagobe will be the powerful position of chairman in the Central Committee.
Subsequent to his sacking from cabinet, Kwelagobe raised the tempo of politicking.
His disciples, just like their apostle are charging like wounded lions. As his faction's last line of defence, Kwelagobe's survival in the race for the 'hot seat' is synonymous with the political survival of his faction. In Kwelagobe the faction has a man who has many advantages. The man is a seasoned campaigner and among the current crop of BDP active politicians there is not a single one who can dwarf Kwelagobe's political credentials. He has been around and has seen it all.
His record, as the longest serving secretary general (from 1980-2007), is yet to be broken. Until the recent cabinet reshuffle which saw him out of cabinet, Kwelagobe had the distinctive characteristic of being the longest serving Minister. He has worked with the four presidents and knows the party like the back of his hand. He has always been a foot soldier par excellence who mingles quite easily with ordinary masses in the party and here lies Kwelagobe's power base. His struggle appears to be the struggle of hoi polloi. As a career politician throughout his life he has encountered and survived numerous political hurdles. There was the1992 Kgabo Report which implicated him and Peter Mmusi in the Mogoditsane land scandal. The scandal saw Kwelagobe and Mmusi being ostracised from Cabinet. When the prophets of doom were about to pen his obituary, Kwelagobe made a miraculous political come back and was rewarded with a cabinet post.
Former president Festus Mogae once chopped him together with co-faction leader Ponatshego Kedikilwe. The decision proved politically disastrous resulting in its reversal.
The President boldly restored DK and PHK to Cabinet assigning them powerful ministries in an endeavour to appease them since they had incessantly advocated politics of inclusion at both party and government levels. Another plus for DK is that he enjoys the comparative advantage of incumbency. As the incumbent chairman, Kwelagobe like a vice has tightened the grip on the post and the challenger will have to work extra hard to dislodge him. In his campaign Kwelagobe's experience is showing. There is an element of tactical awareness and maturity. He is appealing for calm and restraint and refuses to engage in politics of mudslinging even when his name is dragged in the mud by his nemesis. When told that President Khama had fallen short of describing him as power-hungry he simply says " le a mo akela"(you misrepresent him). Instead he intimates that he and the President are working together harmoniously. Again he skillfully and diplomatically elects to avoid attacking fellow democrats in the party but takes a swipe at what he calls "ba ba re losang"(those fuelling internal schism).In response to the lobby by the President for party diehards to vote in favour of women, Kwelagobe's counter-proposal is that the President, too, might demonstrate his commitment and sincerity to the cause of women by appointing a woman as his deputy. On why he should be seen worthy of the chairmanship, Kwelagobe presents himself as a man driven by principle. He is seen as a protector and guardian of the party constitution, principles and traditions.
Like a legal guru he is waging a spirited fight in defence of the party constitution. "The party constitution is sacrosanct and must be given due respect by all. No one is above the constitution", said DK in one of his rallies. By implication Kwelagobe suggests that his detractors do not appreciate that the constitution cannot be chopped at the whims of individuals, however powerful they may be.
Those calling for a compromise are also not spared the wrath as they appear to value political expediency at the expense of the constitution. Apart from hoi polloi Kwelagobe's candidature has the blessing of party bigwigs. Top on the list are Kedikilwe, Gomolemo Motswaledi, Botsalo Ntuane, Wynter Mmolotsi and lately attorney Sydney Pilane and a host other big names, to the extent that some are prepared to find him when the party stops funding him to reach out to the branches.
The men who are behind DK are known to be politically robust and hardworking. Speaking at the launch of Kwelagobe, Ntuane appealed to the people who thronged the rally to stick to Kwelagobe through thick and thin. With the backing of such high profile men and women, DK may feel fortified enough to parry any efforts to dislodge him. The rallies held by Barathaphati were a marvel to watch. The rallies were well organised to be big crowd-pullers and in this respect did not disappoint. A week later when DK was launched, a huge crowd was in attendance. If good attendance of a rally is a measure of strength and support then DK and company must be running away with the votes.
Powerful though he may be, Kwelagobe cannot afford to sit on his laurels. One thing for certain is that he is not facing political minnows. Kwelagobe may be a victim of his own success. His record, as the longest serving minister and secretary general , might be the reason for some to say 'enough is enough.' He is ageing and his health has not been very stable lately. His detractors see him as a spent force that allowed BDP structures to collapse. He is therefore not the right candidate to revive party structures, his opponents say. But given the language employed at his campaign rallies, they all bear the trademark of a principled politician who is influenced by principle rather than entertaining his followers. His camp has chosen the "defence of the constitution and democracy as their trump card." This seems to be working well for them as they continue to amass support from across the BDP factional divide.
Without taking anything from Seretse, the DK camp is well ahead if the numbers game from the BDP regions is anything to go by. Kwelagobe's main advantage is that he started this race long before Seretse declared her interest. Previously it was another brave woman, Botlogile Tshireletso who had vowed to challenge DK but later chickened out in the name of empowering other women politicians "as I have a lot on my hands currently".Asked how he thought he was going to perform in Kanye, Kwelagobe told Mmegi yesterday: "Motho ga a le mo ntweng o solofela phenyo (When someone goes to war, the motive is to win)."He further indicated that he expected victory and nothing else- (Ke solofela phenyo e seng sepe fela.)
The A-Team or the so-called Nkate-Merafhe camp is pinning its hopes on Seretse.
Seretse is not only a workaholic but outspoken and assertive. At political rallies she is a marvel to watch. If politics was thought to be the preserve of men she has proved to be among few women that can hold their own in a man's world. Influenced by her legal background, Seretse has proved to be an orator of note. She is not a novice in politics.
She is an ex-cabinet member and she has fairly acquitted herself well in past official assignments. As a legal practitioner, she has played a pivotal role in helping to fine tune the BDP constitution and a better understanding of the demands and dictates of the said constitution. She is a leader in her own right who has led the Women's Wing of the party. She is always ready to represent the BDP in debate forums such as Matlho-a Phage television show and this has often made her the face of the BDP and it has marketed her as a politician.
She presents herself as a new breed of BDP leadership, seeking to give the party a new lease on life. Her backers are saying they are selling a marketable commodity- a brilliant, exuberant woman who has what it takes and therefore has every arsenal at her disposal to resuscitate the party's ailing structures.
In vying for the position of chairperson, Seretse wants the electorate to recognise the fact that apart from being a human being she is also a woman. She is the voice of the voiceless, an advocate of the hitherto marginalised womenfolk. The woman lobby is a new phenomenon recently championed by the president of the party. The President has intimated that women have been kept on the fringes of politics for far too long. In women, Seretse has a significant constituency that can make or break her. Women, it has been established, are numerically superior to their male counterparts in almost all political formations in Botswana.
Despite whining about political marginalisation, women have never risen to the occasion to take their political destiny in their own hands. They are notoriously known as their own worst enemy. Seretse is therefore banking on a constituency whose support and loyalty is in doubt. But the ball is in her court and every thing will depend on the extent of her lobbying and mobilisation. She suffered an initial setback when her own constituency Serowe South could not vote her to be a delegate at the Kanye congress.
This however, is a double-edged sword because by sidelining her, she could attract last minute sympathy votes from unexpected quarters within the party or it could simply mean that she could be viewed as a loser.
She however, played down the importance of this electoral loss, saying she never campaigned to become a delegate. She added that her loss is a blessing in disguise as she will have free rein to mingle with people and canvass for support at the congress.
Seretse's candidature has the blessing of President Khama. In publicly throwing his mighty weight behind Seretse, the President is taking a leaf from his past immediate predecessor, Mogae, who did the same in 2003. Mogae defied an established party norm by openly declaring that he was rooting for Khama for chairmanship against PHK.
Seretse's principals and backers are powerful men and women also. If presidential support worked wonders for Khama in 2003, the question in the minds is whether history can really repeat itself. On paper, Seretse's chances of electoral victory are as good as those of her opponent. Whichever way the game will go, what is certain is that big scalps will be claimed. The question is whose scalp will it be?
The grey areas in Seretse's campaign are that some are suspicious of her intentions. Though standing on the woman trump card some skeptics see her as a pawn in the big political chess game. Simply put she is being used by the powerful people in the party to further their interests. The woman lobby if it really exists is just secondary in order of things.
This could be the reason why Seretse's camp is unable to articulate what her administration would do once elected to office and instead, they are engaged in the acts of character assassination and mudslinging targeted at DK and his team. This is a wrong tactic and Seretse knows better because it is the same political approach that continues to cost her the Serowe South constituency to Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi at BDP primaries.
Two University of Botswana (UB) political analysts, Dr John Makgala and Dr Zibani Maundeni had in an earlier interview advised the Seretse lobby group that by engaging in politics of character assassination and mudslinging, it was likely to backfire on them.
Maundeni observed that instead of telling the delegates to the congress what their leadership style would offer once elected, "they have chosen to pursue a wrong path.
Disparaging their opponents publicly and this has a lot of dangers associated with it."
He was even worried that new to their approach was a tendency to employ party and government secrets against the Kwelagobe faction which he warned could be suicidal as both parties will need each other after the party congress and elections going forward.
Makgala insisted that bitter factionalism in the BDP especially when approaching Central Committee elections was a common occurrence but like Maundeni he credited the approach of the Kwelagobe group for being principled as it has adopted the defence of the party constitution and democracy as their trump card.
At the end of it all, Seretse was unwilling to tell Mmegi how she would fare next weekend save to say: " I will only be able to give you two hours interview post Kanye congress."
It was unclear whether this means she would have won or she simply did not want to sample her chances as a local newspaper gave her the edge this week. May the better candidate win this race.
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