‘This is Motswaledi’s race I am just finishing it’

“There comes a time in life when you cannot afford to be an armchair critic. There comes a time when you see that the level of direction that the nation is going so dictates that all well-meaning citizens should stand up,” Phenyo Butale says in a quiet but dramatic statement on the brink of a decisive poll in Gaborone Central. 

As executive director of Freedom of Expression Institute in South Africa, he could be in Johannesburg spreading the freedom of expression gospel, but he is at Dros in Gaborone in the dead of night explaining why he accepted a new role to contest election in Gaborone Central constituency under the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) – a coalition of three opposition parties. It was not an easy decision to take up the role after the passing on of UDC strongman, Gomolemo Motswaledi who died of his wounds from a horrendous car accident at the end of July. He speaks with unusually deep concentration and a calm seriousness of purpose as he reminisces about Motswaledi. “Many of us believed so much in Sir G,” he says of UDC vice president. Motswaledi or Sir G as he was affectionately called had made inroads in Gaborone Central, currently under Dumelang Saleshando of Botswana Congress Party (BCP). But being a last minute entrant in the hotly contested race does not bother Butale, as he believes the odds are stuck against Saleshando, Reverend Rupert Hambira of Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) and independent, Sidney Baitsile. “It is not the start of a new race,” he assures in between sips of Jack Daniel. “This is Motswaledi’s race, we are just finishing it.”

There is composure rather than arrogance in Butale’s voice. He has been a close ally to Motswaledi whom he says sought his advice on many occasions. “He would visit me in Jo’burg and say, ‘Mokaulengwe, I want to do this and that,’ I would then offer my advice.” He cherishes Motswaledi’s servitude and accepted to contest so that he gives politics a meaning. “Motswaledi gave politics a meaning,” he repeats in a low and fading voice. “He gave politics a meaning.” 

His eyes, usually commanding and curious, remain sad when he speaks about Motswaledi. “What we are selling here is not what people don’t know,” he explains. He believes anyone that the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) could pick to contest Gaborone Central would easily beat the incumbent legislator. “I think they chose me because of my strong admiration of his vision. I was easy to plug-in,” he says. Has he traded his pen for a life in public office? “I may have put my pen away, but I know where I put it, you know what it means.” But delving on issues that affect voters in Gaborone Central was no easy task for the Moroka born media czar. He believes Saleshando’s dual role as area MP and party president takes him away from the constituency. “I sense constituents have been neglected,” he says with a smirk as he draws his chair closer to his desk. “I have been outside I need more appreciation of issues.” There are underlying concerns at Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) with regard to Motswaledi's replacement.

Motswaledi had built a formidable team of youth who campaigned under the slogan: Operation Tsaya Puso (OTS). OTS had strong misgivings about Andrew Motsamai who was tipped to replace Motswaledi. Sources say OTS believed Motsamai was a BDP infiltrator and was imposed on them. “Mass BNF wrote a letter threatening to de-campaign Motsamai,” a source said this week. Butale is not aware of the scuffles in Gaborone Central. OTS preferred a veteran BNF politician to replace Motswaledi but differed with the party leadership. If history is a useful guide, the BDP and BNF have suffered successive defeats at the hands of Saleshando. In 2004 he defeated Margaret Nasha of BDP with a margin of about 100 votes at a time when the BCP was little known. The margin increased significantly in 2009 polls when he garnered over 6000 votes to about 2 600 and a little over 1 100 for BDP and BNF respectively. Now as a party president, his supporters say he is a formidable opposition. However Saleshando critics suggest that his victory in 2009 was on the backdrop of a protest vote by frustrated BDP faction after Motswaledi was suspended by President Ian Khama over administrative differences at Tsholetsa House.

That school of thought argues strongly that an “incorruptible” Motswaledi is more appealing and credible for Gaborone Central electorate. Some critics go to an extent of suggesting that Saleshando is less credible especially after he failed to endure challenging opposition cooperation talks that led to the birth of Umbrella II. They contend that both Barataphathi sympathisers and undecided voters were prepared to vote for Motswaledi in October. Butale agrees with that school of thought and is ready to bell the cat. He believes no explanation larger that the need to change Khama’s regime. “I have been a strong believer in the opposition as an alternative looking at the situation we are at now,” he says with conviction. “My appeal is to all Batswana that in honouring Motswaledi, they should make their vote count or speak,” he says in a measured tone, more to Gaborone Central electorate than to anyone else. Voter turnout in Gaborone Central has always been impressive. In 2009, 76.2 percent of the 13 222 voters cast their votes. Out of that 47 percent voted for the BCP, 20 percent voted for the BDP and around 9 percent of registered voters voted for the BNF. Butale believes Motswaledi has changed political landscape in Gaborone Central. “He was a great visionary and had soldiered enough for us to complete his race.” Butale was deflated by “BCP decision to pull out of the Umbrella Talks.”

“UDC efforts need to be applauded and supported. I was aligned to them in that regard,” he says. Growing up in Moroka, Butale has never fancied trying his hand in party politics. “I have never seen myself going in that direction, but if I am speaking from the sidelines, who do I think should take the frontline.” A stint in government – first as a presenter at Botswana TV, then executive director of Botswana National Youth Centre and Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Botswana chapter director – prepared him to be a well respected champion of freedom of expression. He feels strong about several missteps in Khama’s regime, but the “obsession” about celebrating accolades conferred by international organisations surprises Butale. “Khama is obsessed with these endorsements from international organisations. I don’t know why.” Many in the media see him somewhat as an unusual choice to challenge Saleshando in Gaborone Central. He has been arguing for the reform of the state media into a public media and believe he should have stuck to the knit.To that suggestion, he reaches for his favourite motto: “If you cringe before injustice, then you are also unjust,” he notes and says he is not apologetic about what he thinks about the Khama regime. Butale has always believed he is destined for greater things in life. He developed interest in politics while at Shashe River School and has always cherished critical thinking.

He holds an MA in Literature and has already defended his PhD at Stellenbosch University. He is convinced his stay in Johannesburg has propelled him to a life of challenges and opportunities. “We forced Zuma not to sign a Secrecy Bill in South Africa. That was fulfilling,” he says and adds that the discussions with politicians to adopt an access to information law was equally intriguing but was deflated when Cabinet shot down the motion.