UDC dismisses Chema Chema, will write off the loans
The President of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), Duma Boko and his deputy, Ndaba Gaolathe, have got serious doubts about the efficacy of the recently-introduced Chema Chema empowerment scheme designed for the low income segment of the population.
The UDC made their position clear on the fund at a recent press conference in Palapye. Their view is that the Chema Chema economic intervention programme is not the solution to the economic challenges bedevilling this
country.
The press conference was addressed by the coalition leaders, Motlatsi Molapisi of the Botswana Peoples Party, Gaolathe of the AP, as well as Boko.
The Chema Chema Fund was recently launched by government with the aim to overcome abject poverty by principally funding women and the youth in budding business enterprises. The fund will avail loans to the low income persons looking to establish businesses, but Boko says the fund - which is going to disburse cash loans of a maximum of P50 000 to those looking to start small businesses - will not achieve what it has ostensibly been intended for in the first place.
He dismissed the programme on the basis that government has not done enough research in terms of viability. As far as Boko is concerned, the project is only intended to buy votes in this year’s general elections. Despite his misgivings, he has called on the citizens to apply for the loan, use the money and then vote for the UDC, which will in turn write off the loans once in power.
“However, I encourage you to apply for the loans because it is your money. I promise you that a UDC government will cancel the debts immediately after winning the elections this year," he said to ululations of approval by those in attendance, as he added that the UDC would then change the loans into grants.
Boko also took the opportunity to respond to the recent withdrawal of coalition partner Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF), saying it was not a matter to give him sleepless nights as the party withdrawal by the leadership does not translate to their members losing their UDC membership. Boko said the BPF candidates wishing to continue contesting elections under UDC will be allowed to do so.
When it left, the BPF expressed displeasure about the allocation of wards and constituencies arguing they deserved more than they got. They told their meeting in Serowe before leaving that they preferred the PACT model of cooperation. Boko has since dismissed the matter of a PACT as a non-starter, saying that can only work after elections when parties know how they have performed individually.
“I never have stress and I have got no capacity of being stressed. Those who look forward to stressing me, should look at me and determine whether they are succeeding in their effort,” Boko said, adding that leaders need always to anticipate what is coming their way.
An upbeat Boko celebrated the return to the UDC of the Alliance for Progressives (AP) which re-joined the UDC last year after briefly leaving the coalition following a fallout between the two parties. “I am happy we are back together once again. We are back where we were at the start when the coalition consisted the current members,” announced Boko.
Responding to a reporter’s question on whether the UDC would engage the BPF on their withdrawal from the coalition, Boko answered in the negative, preferring a situation where the BPF itself engages the UDC and not the other way round where the UDC approaches the BPF.
By Boko's side was Chairman of the UDC, Motlatsi Molapisi who added his voice and appealed to the voters to use this year’s general election to take over government and end the ruling party 59-year-reign.
“This year our goal is not to just win wards and constituencies as we have always done since the first election in 1965, but to take over government for the sake of this country.
“I call upon you to use your vote to assume government. If need be, we must protect our democracy with our very bodies,” Molapisi appealed. He also called upon the party members to traverse the entire country to mobilise support for a change of government.
For his part, Ndaba Gaolathe observed that the problem with Botswana is not the spectre of corruption in the country but “failure by the citizens to change government so that you then build a strong economy which would create jobs for the citizens.”
Gaolathe posited that when in power, the UDC government will create so many jobs that the country would have to import labour and expertise due to shortage of manpower across sectors.