BNF must withdraw from UDC

The opposition voice in the political history of Botswana seems to have disappeared at the time when the country is witnessing its worst betrayal in the form of corruption and looting of the country’s resources.
The dignity of the people, the youth in particular, has been reduced to the level of street criminals, leaving them vulnerable to drugs. Unemployment grows daily and Namula Leuba has moved Batswana away from the spirit of self-reliance.
It is most unfortunate that the current political crisis in Botswana is taking place at a time when the opposition under UDC is hospitalized and under intensive care. Instead of selling progressive policies which can give hope to the working class, they are focused on promising that they will win the 2019 general elections.
The promise of winning elections under the current UDC status is far from realistic. Seasoned politicians such as Dr. Kenneth Koma could not give empty promises without considering both objective and subjective conditions. The BNF still believes that the elections can be won when the following conditions are prevailing:
The elections must be free and fair (political parties must be involved in the preparations and the actual running of the elections).
The government media should cover all political parties equally as is done in South Africa.
The ruling party must stop using tax payer resources to buy votes by giving handouts to people.
The controversial voting machine must be stopped.
Party funding must be available.
One would be making a political mistake to ignore the above conditions and make an unconditional statement suggesting that the 2019 elections shall be won by the opposition. For information, stamen of this nature must be collective so that it represents the position of the BNF. “A revolutionary must be selfless and must have not personal interests in the revolution and the sum of his activities in the revolution as a means of getting material rewards or enhancement of his personal status. The main concern of a revolutionary must be the welfare of the people that is to say the welfare of the oppressed people should be the main concern of a revolution.” Karl Marx.
The collapse of the UDC has created a new dimension of uncertainty to the trade unions, civil society, students, general membership in the political organisations and the unemployed, all of whom hoped to see change from the poor rule of the BDP.
The BNF under the leadership of Dr. Koma, a selfless and hardcore Marxist-Leninist, constructed and cultivated a solid foundation of political activists through political education. He furthermore exposed purchasable and marketable petty bourgeoisie intellectuals within the movement. The BNF launched vigorous political education which produced spirited political activists whose sacrifice to the national call gave hope to the majority poor. The movement became the champion of the oppressed and exploited working class.
Since the BNF became part of the UDC it has gone into reverse gear. Structures and political education have long collapsed. Constituencies which were BNF strongholds have been compromised and handed to the BMD, members have also been compromised.
Petty bourgeoisies are the most vulnerable as they are historically purchasable by nature. Most of them love money more than their own country. In this regard the members of the BNF deserve the right to know where their source of funds is coming from.
Like trade unions the BNF must pull out of the UDC which is a failed project. UDC in its current form will never win elections. The BNF is a progressive movement which believes that the workers revolution is impossible without the sympathy and support of the overwhelming majority of the working people not the financial muscle as it seems today. The BNF activists must not deceive themselves; they must wake up to the reality that it is not practically possible to reconcile the current BMD with BNF.
The constituencies belonging to BNF cannot be sacrificed to BMD or any other opposition for the sake of cooperation because it will reduce BNF into a regional party. The president of the BNF, Duma Boko, in defending his style of leadership declared that he was guided by the principles of democratic centralism.
This principle, like the bible has been manipulated by many politicians to suit their situations like Joseph Stalin who manipulated it to centralize all powers to himself. The BNF is a mass movement where decisions are based on the will of the majority.
BAALAKANI BASIAMI
A concerned member
NB: THIS OPINION HAS BEEN EDITED FOR LENGTH