Just recently His Excellency the President, Dr. Mokgweetsi E.K Masisi has been talking about “Resetting and Reclaiming the Government”. Though, the statement raised critics like, who is he reclaiming the government from, and when and how did he lose control of it, it looks like a lot of reset is needed.
Lesang Magang, a Central Committee Secretary General hopeful says the reset needs to begin within the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) which Masisi is also President of.
According to Magang, after his long consultation with the party activists across the country, he has realized that most activists are not happy. This, he says is because they feel their loyalty to the party is not paying off.
“In all my engagements LOYALTY has come up all the time. In simple terms everyone believes if you are loyal to the party THE PARTY MUST BE LOYAL TO YOU. It is a seemingly loaded statement but after careful analysis I believe we actually have a way to Constitutionalise this principle.” Magang underscored.
Of recent, some BDP diehards have been showing displeasure on Social Media platforms on how new recruits are being prioritized over them. Minister of Presidential Affairs and Public Administration- Kabo Morwaeng, and his Assistant- Dumezweni Meshack Mthimkhulu, Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development- Tumiso Rakgare, Minister of Nationality, Immigration and Gender Affairs- Annah Mokgethi, Deputy Mayor of Gaborone City Council- Lotty Manyapedza are some of the new arrivals who were given top seats.
Though he calls his dear party the ‘only truly democratic political grouping in Botswana’, Magang has made an observation that most people are not happy with how ‘BULELA DITSWE’ (BDP primary elections) are carried out. Further, he observed that Fairness, Empowerment, Accessibility and Loyalty needs to be reassured within the party.
“We need the entire system to guarantee any sitting Leader comfort that they will enjoy a Primary Election that does not feel like a purge. In the same breath we need to also give comfort to a challenger to an incumbent to feel that the playing field is level.” he asserted.
