Phage throws political stink bomb at Ndaba and his party

Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) activist Phagenyane Phage has challenged members of the newly formed party, Alliance for Progressives (AP) to disband. Phage said the formation of the new party was a big mistake by former members of Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD). AP was formed by disgruntled members of the BMD following a verdict by UDC that was aimed at solving the BMD crisis. BMD was led by two factions until its split mid last month.

Speaking during a UDC star rally in Molepolole over the weekend, Phage, a former councillor challenged the AP members to disband and join either Botswana Congress Party or Botswana National Front. He said the formation of a new party would not solve anything. The political firebrand said what AP has done was to give the ruling Botswana Democratic Party another lifeline to oppress Batswana.

“We had expected our comrades to at least try to implement the UDC recommendations before leaving the BMD. They did not try so that they could tell Batswana that we tried our best to reconcile and work with the other camp but failed. “They rather decided to form a party even before the UDC leadership could release its verdict. They now want sympathy from voters and the public. They are cry-babies and we are not here to babysit cry-babies,” lashed out Phage. Phage, who represented the BCP as a parliamentary candidate for Lentsweletau-Mmopane, said the UDC verdict was the remedy for the BMD crisis.

“UDC President Duma Boko told them that their problems were not new as they started during the 2015 Gantsi Congress. The findings indicated that Gaolathe was not working well with his committee. So as the tension this year had escalated it was not possible to call for a fresh congress. Those people were now going to kill each other so a fresh congress was not the best solution at the moment,” he stated.

AP Secretary General Dr Phenyo Butale told this publication that the purple movement is too busy to be responding to utterances made by politicians like Phage. He said it is for Batswana to decide and not for Phage to dictate. The BCP firebrand went further in his attack saying AP President Ndaba was hired to cry at the funeral of the late former President, Sir Ketumile Masire. Social media was abuzz with the comments he made but his fellow BCP comrades, Dithapelo Keorapetse and Kentse Rammidi came out guns blazing in defence of Phagenyane’s utterances.

Phagenyane said as a Mongwato, he knows that they hired Batswapong people to cry at their funerals. This has attracted a lot of attack on him on social media saying he is promoting tribalism. Others call on the party to take action against him. He was not available for comment.BCP Secretary General, Rammidi wrote, “I want to take responsibility as the BCP Secretary General and apologise to those who might be genuinely offended by Cde Phagenyane Phage’s utterances at the Molepolole rally. This for all intents and purposes was said in a gist (sic) without trying to be insolent to any particular tribe.

“I thought it was said in the same context that we Bangwaketse sometimes play around with Barolong. I find people to be dis-ingenious and trying to derive cheap political mileage because they are the same people who were all out defending HE Khama against Ndadi when he said something about women that Ndadi found offending. Let us chill a bit and allow for light moments.”