It doesn’t rain put pours through the shade of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) should news reports be anything to go by. The implosion is brought about by what is happening in different political parties whose presence constitute the umbrella body. At the heart of the implosion is the fact that the political parties are individually and collectively disgruntled by the decisions of the UDC to allocate some parliamentary constituencies and council wards to other parties at the expense of the others. As a consequence, one of the parties in the name of Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) resigned controversially from the UDC. Another partner, the Alliance for Progressives (AP) is scheduled to meet principally on account of the same disgruntlement. There is every chance it will exit the UDC if it doesn’t get its way. Almost watching helplessly is the UDC leadership who for all intents and purposes, should have acted proactively to stem the tide. What seems to be the attitude of the leadership is to be reactive when the damage has been allowed and deeply entrenched.
The issue of conflicts and disgruntlement arising out of the allocations of parliamentary constituencies and council wards on one hand and the process to select candidates to represent the party on the other, is a long standing issue across all political parties but which seemingly, a permanent solution has not been found. It is fair to state this problem has not been evident in the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) because no negative reporting in that regard has come forward. It is so pronounced at the Botswana Democratic Party and the UDC partners. The root cause is the circumvented processes and procedures where there is a grounded perception or reality that the party leadership is directly involved to decide who stands and who doesn’t.
Causes of implosion The UDC convened a forum constituted by representatives from its parties who determined which party got allocated which parliamentary constituencies and council wards such that parties choose amongst their members who will in turn, represent the UDC in the 2024 general election through their internal processes. As it is fact that these parties do not command equal political followings in all parliamentary constituencies, this fact would on its own determine which party is allocated the said constituencies.
Any other consideration would inevitably lead to untold conflict and disgruntlement. It is part of the recipe that precipitates the implosion. It would appear the leadership was motivated by the false pretence that has turned fatal that whoever is allocated a constituency would necessarily receive endorsement and support from other parties. I have repeatedly made the point that members of UDC parties first belong to these parties before they become UDC members by virtue of their parties joining UDC. The argument that members of UDC parties will automatically support any member of their cooperating parties is grossly misplaced. Otherwise and if that was the case, the current brouhaha would not have emerged.
BNF activists and members in constituencies such as Mmopane- Metsimotlhabe which has been allocated to AP have reportedly stood their ground that the AP candidate and the party itself do not have a tested footprint in the area. It is reported that a BNF and AP candidates are claiming legitimacy to represent the UDC. Past election results indicate BNF has always posted good numbers in the constituency.
A similar situation has unfolded in Molepolole South constituency with both BNF and AP candidates also claiming legitimacy thereto and using the UDC banner to campaign. Kgatleng East (parliamentary) and a ward in Tlokweng are also experiencing candidacy standoffs. But one of the most astonishing stories about the BNF candidacy shambles is in the Mahalapye East constituency where a candidate’s credentials are being questioned.
A letter from a law firm acting on behalf of a well-known member of the BNF in the constituency has been sent to the party demanding to know the circumstances surrounding the bonafide of the preferred candidate with respect to him standing as a BNF candidate of the UDC.
The letter contents ‘his name did not even appear in any of the wards in Mahalapye East constituency and he had never participated in any of the party leadership