Inside BDP's secret millions

Party funding is a closely guarded secret in Botswana politics and it was not surprising that the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) was reluctant to reveal the source of wealth it used to acquire a total number of 63 campaign vehicles for this year general election.

Motor magnate Satar Dada on Sunday paraded 57 vehicles branded with party colours during the launch of the BDP 2014 election manifesto. Each of the 57 constituencies will have a vehicle. This publication was told on Wednesday that there is an extra six vehicles.

As expected this week the party refused to discuss with Botswana Guardian the total value of the 63 vehicles and the donors behind the multimillion Pula procurement.   Executive secretary Sechele Sechele was also uncooperative, saying that he doesn’t know the value and that “…even if I knew the total value of the vehicles I would not share the information with the media.” Sechele and other politicians in Botswana can afford to withhold such information. Botswana does not have a law regulating funding of political parties and as such the BDP and other political parties are not forced by any legal instrument to reveal their funders. Political parties, in particular the ruling BDP, have exploited this lacuna for their benefit.

However Botswana Guardian has  independently valued the 63 vehicles at around P18.9 million. The figure will be slightly up because the vehicles are fitted with public address systems which also come at a cost. Information passed to the Botswana Guardian indicates that of the 63 vehicles four are 4L 4x4 Land Cruiser vans. This publication values these vehicles at P1.7 million. A phone call to some of the Toyota dealers in Botswana reveals that these vehicles cost around P420 000 (petrol) and P430 000 (diesel) each. Four of those will cost around P1.7 million.

Some constituencies have been allocated 4x4 Hilux 3L which the Botswana Guardian values all nine at P3.5 million. They currently cost around P398 000 and P370 000 if they are fully fitted with roll bars and bush guards. Forty-two (42) of the vehicles according to the information given to this publication are Hilux 4x2, 2.7L that are valued at around P12 million. Depending on whether it is a single or double cab the vehicles cost around P288 000 and P247 000. The BDP also has 8 Isuzu 4x4 vans valued at around P1.7 million. The said vans cost around P209 000 (petrol). “But this can cost P222 000 if we are to fit roll bars, bush guards and aircon,” said a sales rep at one of the Isuzu dealers shop. 

This means all these vehicles value well over P18 million.  Dada could not be reached at the time of going to press but the businessman was quoted recently in the local media saying that the vehicles were pretty expensive. He told the Monitor newspaper this week that, “…it is not true I buy these vehicles, friends of the party, party members, contributors, they all come forward to help us raise the funds to acquire the vehicles.”  The BDP has always maintained that the money used to purchase the campaign vehicles are from donations from the party members, subscriptions from elected representatives and fund raising activities. But if you do your math the party would not be able to raise that amount of money from mere fundraising activities, and its general membership. BDP parliamentary and council candidates for Bulela Ditswe primaries were required to pay P5000 and 2500 respectively in 2013. According to the media reports the party raised P11 million from the primary election candidates. 

While the party may have already used some of the funds raised from the primaries elsewhere, they are too minute to purchase a fleet of more than 63 vehicles. Clearly the party did not rely on the MPs and councillors' annual subscriptions. The MPs are required to pay P250 monthly subscriptions while the councillors pay P100. In a month the party collects around 30 000 from its elected representatives and around P60 000 in rentals from Tsholetsa house.

The recent fundraising dinner raised a paltry P1 million. With staff all over the country and other expenses to deal with the party often finds itself in financial doldrums. The situation is so bad that Dada has often made heartfelt pleas to BDP members to save the party from financial embarrassment. .

Who funds the BDP?
Simple arithmetic clearly shows that the party does not have the funds to readily purchase 63 vehicles, but the question now is who is generous enough to donate the party millions of Pula for the 2014 general election? Are these donors companies, wealthy businessmen or corporations?
History shows that the party has received millions from outside funders including De Beers – one of the leading diamond companies in the world. The BDP does not want anyone to know who their real funder is but sources allege that the funders have increased over the years and these funders are mainly in the business community.
“It is also possible that the BDP may be receiving funds from companies that are hoping to win multi-million tenders in the country,” said a source close to the party. The 63 vehicles may be a tip of the iceberg, sources allege. With a lot at stake during this year’s general election, the party is likely to use millions of Pula to remain in power.
The party is not saying how much it has budgeted for this year’s general election but it may end up using as much as P100 million for the entire campaign, a reliable insider estimates. “The donations have not stopped. The party will continue to receive money from well wishers at national, regional and constituency level,” said a party leader preferring not to be identified because he has not been permitted to talk about party issues with the media.

The DIS factor
Lack of party funding laws has opened speculation even wider. There are allegations that the country’s spy agency DIS, could be using public funds to sponsor the ruling party’s campaign, although BG News has not independently ascertained the veracity of the claim. However, recently when debating the motion on political party funding the opposition MPs alleged that some BDP MPs were receiving millions of Pula from the DIS. This week sources were not ruling out that the DIS may be sponsoring the party. The DIS has refuted these allegations in the past.

Dada- the billionaire
The BDP treasurer is a wealthy man. He has business interests in many countries particularly Botswana, United Kingdom and South Africa. Though his wallet is huge enough to buy the 63 vehicles, it is unlikely that he bought the vehicles. As a businessman it doesn’t make sense to buy the vehicles. But Dada has the connections. The fact that he is the BDP’s longest serving treasurer says a lot. He is untouchable. Two party presidents have come and gone and Dada is still managing the party’s purse. There is a reason why the party has kept him; he is the talisman that makes things happen as far as money is concerned. 

In 2009 a local newspaper reported that former president Festus Mogae once said they use Dada to acquire the vehicles due to his connections with car suppliers overseas.  It is also possible that this shrewd motor mogul may have used his business connections to get funds for the cars. Sources say as a leader of the Muslim community in Botswana, Dada allegedly has the authority to order his brethren to do what is right and support the party. “If there are secret funders in the BDP my bet is that it’s only Dada who knows who they are. Not even president Khama has an idea what is going on,” said a source with inside knowledge of the BDP.