Africa-Press – Botswana. Umbrella Democratic Change (UDC) leader, Duma Boko says Botswana Congress Party (BCP) president, Dumelang Saleshando and the party’s secretary-general, Goretetse Kekgonegile went behind UDC’s back and proved to be two-mouthed giants.
UDC took a decision last weekend in Palapye to suspend the duo from any and all activities of or for and on behalf of the UDC, pending disciplinary proceedings which will commence and be concluded within three months of the date of the decision. He said they took this decision to protect the UDC.
“What Saleshando and Kekgonegile did was put down the UDC. What they did was equal to standing on the streets and ridiculing the UDC by even saying we cannot replace President Mokgweetsi Masisi with another Masisi. Most of these demeaning words go to the same voters we want voting for us in 2024. This is unacceptable because we are the campaigners of the UDC who ask for people’s votes and we want to show Batswana the worth of the UDC,” he said. Boko said the suspended duo of Saleshando and Kekgonegile destroyed and belittled the coalition, and therefore they have burned the UDC house down. Boko added that both Saleshando and Kekgonegile were given a chance to apologise which they failed.
He said the NEC’s decision was simple because the duo had to publicly retract their statements before the weekend’s NEC meeting. Boko indicated that what they have in the UDC is democratic centralism therefore every leader has to respect the majority decision that is taken by the leadership. Boko said leaders who do not agree with majority decisions have to step down. He said leaders who do not agree with leadership majority decisions are not supposed to go there and demean the UDC.
But even after being suspended, Saleshando said they didn’t apologise because they feel strongly about the issues they raised.
“Democracy needs someone to speak on its behalf unapologetically. Good governance needs a voice, not a weak unapologetic voice,” Saleshando revealed during a press briefing after the announcement of their suspension. He said they wanted a conflict resolution mechanism within the UDC but that was never granted.
Saleshando said UDC only meets to talk about issues of conflict. He pointed out that UDC does as it pleases and doesn’t have a voice because the party doesn’t have a programme of action. Saleshando feels that UDC has for 10 years been run by a transitional clause. “UDC is in a state of emergency, the UDC constitution is not used as it should be and after 10 years there has not been the first congress and there is no internal democracy. There is no operational programme of action,” he said. He added that as the BCP, they still believe that opposition parties can work together ahead of the 2024 General Election. He said going forward they will call a central committee meeting to address their suspensions.
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