On the back of a collapse of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) questions are being asked of what precipitated this humiliation. In what stands out as an indictment on the weakness of the party leadership none of its contesting central committee members – President, Party Chairman, Secretary General and Deputy Secretary General survived the voters’ onslaught.
The question is how can they strategise for the whole party if they could not work on their own programme to survive voter backlash.
Indications are that the party leadership had become so engrossed in self-adoration that they could not pick the pulse of those they were supposedly leading.
They behaved as though they were the voters’ Lords than their servants. Internal party processes were also compromised as the executive failed to deliver a timeous primary elections programme that would have allowed them space to review and repair relationships broken as a result of those who lost.
Fo the first time since the Bulela Ditswe was launched they were delayed by many months to a point where they took place two months before the General Elections.
It was as though the executive had surrendered that power to one man – the president – whom they feared in the most extreme.
Even when the President was warned against globetrotting on elections year to give priority to preparations for elections; they couldn’t raise a finger and those that engaged him, such advice fell on deaf ears.
Masisi had risen to be a man with arrogance who championed an “I know it all’ badge.
The result – he sunk the party and all in it to the lowest abyss ever. And those who worked closely with him, are whispering that he never listened to an alternative voice. His while democratically elected had degenerated into a one-man rule.
The clearest example was how he yanked out former minister Edwin Dikoloti from standing for Goodhope/Mmathethe constituency in preference of Peggy Serame, his preferred choice for the area.
There was no clear and understandable explanation of why he removed Dikoloti from standing for elections in the area. When Dikoloti choose to run as an independent Masisi once more went on attack to disparage him for daring go that route – almost elevating himself to the Godly level. And this is how he ran the party and country – he felt he was bigger than everybody and not to be questioned.
Meanwhile, a BDP elder has urged the party to collectively regroup and come up with strategies on how to remain alive, adding that being in opposition ranks could be difficult as some members might quit it.
Introspection
Meanwhile, political commentator Kitso Morekisi said BDP didn’t perform well and that should worry it.
He said Bulela Ditswe would haunt the party for a very long time, adding that holding Bulela Ditswe a few months before the elections was a suicidal move as protestors would not heal in a very short period of time.
“Bulela Ditswe always cause challenges for the party but this year elections left BDP in a very bad state. Being in opposition is not going to be an easy thing. Also, the way Dikoloti’s issue was handled made a lot of people to revolt against the party. Dikoloti is now a big winner on the BDP’s defeat,” said Morekisi.
Morekisi also said BDP should start working to prepare for the next elections and must continuously build and monitor its structures as leaving them to collapse could make the party dormant and die. He said the BDP should seriously introspect because it will be a minority party from being the ruling party and that is a disturbing outcome for the party of BDP stature.
Masisi Concedes
On Friday, Masisi addressed the media to concede defeat and congratulate the president elect Advocate Duma Boko assuring him of his support.
Masisi said he doesn’t know how the party lost the elections but said the BDP will survive and contest the next general elections.
“It is too early to know where we got it wrong. Indeed, we got it wrong. We believed that we got it right but clearly, we did get it wrong. We will sit down and reflect as the party,” said Masisi on very soft tone.
BDP has won only four parliamentary seats being Moshupa-Manyana, Thamaga- Kumakwane, Kgatleng East and Gabane-Mmankgodi with that making it a minority in Parliament based on its numbers.
Its 13th Parliament MPs are Karabo Gare, Palelo Motaosane, Mabuse Pule and Kagiso Mmusi respectively