On the reported harassment ahead of BDP Congress

ACCEPT THE DIRTY NATURE OF POLITICS

Politics is not for the fainthearted. The moment one makes intensions to stand for political office, they must be made of sterner stuff. Anyone holding political office but not wanted by some other elements who even intend to challenge them, should also be housing some heart of steel.

The weak can’t survive. Biggie Butale is a case in point at the Botswana Patriotic Front. They do not want him and stories have been fabricated about him so that he is deemed unfit to lead the organization. Months before the 2019 general elections it was all about former minister Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi. We heard she was a foreigner from Malawi after she declared her candidacy to lead the Botswana Democratic Party.

Earlier this year it was Bucs Baatlhodi Molatlhegi who was called all sorts of names simply because he raised his hand to challenge for the presidency of Botswana National Front. It would appear that in politics you become a bad person as soon as you want to challenge those in leadership.

Unity Dow of the BDP recently recorded a voice note that would circulate all over social media, suggesting that she too is experiencing what she terms ‘devilish and devious’ conduct towards her simply because she also decided to stand for the position of Deputy Secretary in the ruling party. Suddenly we hear that actually Nonofo Molefhi, who is challenging for the chairmanship of the party, is actually a messenger of the BDP enemies sent to distabilise the party from inside.

I am sure that should Taolo Lucas of the Botswana Congress Party tomorrow say he wants to become party president, we will hear of all his sins committed before he was even born. Wait until Phenyo Butale of the Alliance for Progressives decides too that he wants to be president of the party. They will talk of his crimes that for all these years we never new existed. It does seem then, that this is the nature of politics and that if you do not mind the associated dirty games, you can gladly plunge in.

We expect the likes of Molefhi and Dow to know that this is what they were throwing themselves into, and they should not act surprised and play victim as people are already saying bout them. They too should go deeper to find some dirt about their opponents and return the favour. And it is not true that these dirty politricks are new in the BDP as Dow claims – they have always been there. The likes of Kwelagobe and Guma Moyo in the long past have experienced such when they sought political office.

In fact, former president Khama even introduced some impromptu policies at the BDP to deal with political opponents. Like when ministers were told to choose between cabinet and party position, a policy that really targeted Kwelagobe and his team, hoping at the time, that Kwelagobe would forgo party position for the lucrative cabinet post. So plunge in too, Madam Dow, it is called politics. Go dirty on them too. [TUMISANG MOLEFHE]

BE CLEAN AND STOP PLAYING THE VICTIM

Not so long ago team Nonofo Ezekiel Molefhi made pronouncements that they wish for a clean Campaign.

Unity Dow made a voice note which does not only taint the sole purpose of the congress, it labels the BDP leadership as tyrants who will use dictatorial tendencies to suppress opponents.

If people who 'purport' they want to work with the President can openly label his administration in this manner what more would they now do should they mistakenly land into the BDP Central Committee?

Clearly the imaginary fight between Unity Dow and the pseudo that goes by the name France Museveni bit by bit is exposing an element in Unity's character that leaves one shocked.

France spoke of meetings he termed as 'Crocodile meetings.' The very same Unity said the meetings were imaginary and she distanced herself from such claims.

In less than three months since distancing herself from the claims she is a candidate for a party position with the same characters France said she was having meetings with!!! You see, this 'I am victim' campaign card is an old trick in the book. It is the very same trick this other one uses with a catch phrase 'Kea tahwenngwa'. At the end of the day team Molefhi should man-up and campaign without trying to play victim [KABELO KGWARAE-MHURIRO]

IN POLITICS YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW

But Dow and his team need to be reminded that good or evil everyone reaps what s/he sows. Political dictators or true leaders are built by the people or their followers. What's happening now at the BDP is nothing but the results of embracing political mediocrity, sycophancy and political patronage over elementary principles of democracy in the BDP's inner circle.

The political intolerance or let me say harrassment towards other party members whom are viewed by the political loyalists of Sisboy as political enemies of his administration is the political creation of the same people who are now raising complaints about how things are currently done at the BDP. [MALATSI MOKHUBAMI]