Mmatli's backyard under BDP siege

Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) Policy Director Dr. Tlamelo Mmatli is a man under siege in his parliamentary constituency – Molepolole South - where he admits the ruling party is eating into his membership.

“They are busy recruiting and parading the youth from Molepolole and go around misleading people that I am among those joining the BDP. I am not going anywhere,” he told this publication are Saturday in Molepolole after a political rally he addressed to appraise his party faithful of developments in the opposition coalition – Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC).

BMD is a contracting member of the UDC. “Of course they have sent people to me to recruit me but I have declined. They tried to lure me with a ministerial post and that I would not be challenged for Bulela-Ditswe.

I told them that if I want a job I would return to where I was before becoming an MP,” the clearly agitated UB lecturer currently on sabbatical, complained of BDP’s overtures and political manoeuvres. 

And the culprit behind Mmatli’s frustrations is none other than Vice President Mokgweetsi Masisi, who is also BDP Chairman and MP for Moshupa/Manyana.“The Vice President is busy recruiting while programmes that he should be looking after are failing the nation. He should just focus his energy and time on those programmes he has been mandated to drive,” cried Mmatli.

However, Mmatli feels that Masisi’s recruitment exercise is a clear sign of a party in panic mode, fearing for its existence post 2019 general election. And the source of BDP’s consternation is the cooperation talks between Botswana Congress Party (BCP) and UDC, which Mmatli says are at an “advanced stage and progressing well.”

The BCP and UDC have set themselves before end of December this year to conclude the talks. He told the Saturday rally in Molepolole that his committee had met that morning at Oasis Motel to formulate policies in preparation for 2019. “We are working around the clock to ensure that everything is in place so that when we take over power from the ruling Botswana Democratic Party, we ensure proper governance for this country,” he told the rally, which was preceded by the handing over of a petition to the District Commissioner’s office on issues they are currently unhappy with.

BCP and UDC have decided to conduct countrywide demonstrations over unemployment, poor education results, bias reporting by state media and introduction of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM). Mmatli further told the gathering that other committees, being for constitution, governance and programmes had also met to deal with their respective assignments.