Masisi, Tsogwane blamed for BDP factions
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Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) Members of Parliament have asked party President, Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi and his Vice President also party chairman, Slumber Tsogwane to desist from favoritism as it will fuel the ongoing raging inferno of divisions within the party, WeekendPost has been told.
In a no blows barred party meeting to close the year this week, backbenchers took the war to Tsogwane and gave him an ultimatum to stop favoritism lest divisions balloon into something severe. One thing they made clear is that should “apparent bias” continue, they will form their own faction which will prioritise their needs.
The meeting according to sources was characterized by complaints from party members. Tsogwane is said to have given the MPs audience “as he wants a better shaped party next year and the members did not disappoint”. An issue which dominated from the floor was alleged nepotism by Masisi and Tsogwane, sources say. The members say the two (Masisi and Tsogwane) are travelling around doing star rallies at their allies’ constituencies while leaving out other members. “Divide and rule will exacerbate the already visible divisions,” Tsogwane was told this week.
For now the party has staged five star rallies in constituencies other members say are pro Masisi. “There has been these kind of rallies in Chobe, Maun East, Ngami, Okavango, Tonota and other constituencies while others are ignored despite making calls for the same arrangement. So MPs believe that the leadership is prioritizing their cronies while sidelining others,” shared an informant within the party. It is said the decision to stage those rallies was taken looking at the contributions made at party meetings and parliamentary sessions.
Konstantinos Markous (Maun East), Bagalatia Arone (Okavango), Machana Shamukuni (Chobe) are believed to be close to the current regime and also ‘yes sir men’. Thato Kwerepe (Ngami) is also hinted to be a ‘yes sir man’ who is also handled with kids’ glove. He is said to have requested the same rally in an effort to erase Jacob Nkate from the scene. “He is afraid Nkate can still come back and having rallies with the leadership is the only way to legitimize him to electorates,” added another source.
The angry MPs argue that this arrangement is the breeding space for factions like ‘imagined New Jerusalem’ as they feel abandoned. “It should be clear we belong together, if not, we can also stage our parallel rallies because this is not right. We should be left to have our faction that will be clear with its mandate and it should not be deemed as indiscipline,” added another source on Wednesday.
The disgruntled legislators are already mobilizing to have a patron that could be in a position to launch them since only new ministers are getting that privilege. As of now, the name of former president Lt Gen Dr Ian Khama has been on the lips of many but others do not agree.
“Of course he can be, but others want someone like Kedikilwe (Ponatshego) but then he lacks charisma possessed by Khama so it is yet to be decided. Mind you it can only be concluded if the status quo continues.”
MASISI REBUFFS BDP RETREAT
Calls for a retreat are said to have been dealt a blow after President Masisi decided that those with issues should rather see him individually. Tsogwane was tasked with finding a date that will be accommodative to all MPs and the President who has a very busy schedule.
The retreat was expected to be held early next year to tackle burning issues with primary elections set to dominate proceedings. But as things stand the President will only meet MPs individually. “A number of members including Vincent Seretse and Biggie Butale are irate as to how the whole primary elections were conducted and it has been agreed that this should be dealt with at a retreat with all the sub-committees present,” revealed a source.
LOTTY, NCHI DIVIDE BDP
It has also cropped at the party gathering that the MPs are at pains with new members getting priority over the long serving members. It is said Lotty Manyapedza and Kentse Nchi Rammidi have been travelling around with the leadership addressing rallies and briefing regions about the party status with Masisi. “What do they know about BDP? They have just defected from the opposition. They should take a back bench,” one MP told this publication.
This, MPs say, is strategic positioning by the new members to be given some posts after elections next year. “We know they want to be rewarded at the end of the day especially when it comes to nominations or specially elected positions,” another MP briefly said. Party Chairman Tsogwane however is said to have pleaded with the democrats to accommodate new members. “We should show them that they are welcome in the party and it should not be interpreted otherwise. Let us be united and be welcoming to whoever joins the party,” he asked the MPs who were taking none of it, according to insiders.
Already there are reports that Rammidi may contest for the position of party secretary general, something which irks some BDP insiders. Next year is a busy schedule for the ruling party as there are a number of activities on the calendar – with the party congress and general elections are the highlights.
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ENVIRONMENT ISSUES: Masisi asks Virginia for help
President Mokgweetsi Masisi says the issue of sustainable natural resources management has always been an important part of Botswana’s national development agenda.
Masisi was speaking this week on the occasion of a public lecture at Virginia Polytechnic, under theme, “Merging Conservation, Democracy and Sustainable Development in Botswana.”
Botswana, according to Masisi, holds the view that the environment is fragile and as such, must be managed and given the utmost protection to enable the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“It is necessary that we engage one another in the interchange of ideas, perspectives, visualizations of social futures, and considerations of possible strategies and courses of action for sustainable development,” said Masisi.
On the other hand, dialogue, in the form of rigorous democratic discourse among stakeholders presents another basis for reconfiguring how people act on their environments, with a view to conserving its resources that “we require to meet our socio-economic development needs on a sustainable basis,” Masisi told attendees at the public lecture.
He said government has a keen interest in understanding the epidemiology and ecology of diseases of both domestic and wild animals. “It is our national interest to forestall the dire consequences of animal diseases on our communities livelihoods.”
President Masisi hoped that both Botswana and Virginia could help each other in curbing contagious diseases of wildlife.
“We believe that Virginia Tech can reasonably share their experiences, research insights and advances in veterinary sciences and medicines, to help us build capacity for knowledge creation and improve efforts of managing and containing contagious diseases of wildlife. The ground is fertile for entering into such a mutually beneficial partnership.”
When explaining environmental issues further, Masisi said efforts of conservation and sustainable development might at times be hampered by the emergence and recurrence of diseases when pathogens mutate and take host of more than one species.
“Water pollution also kills aquatic life, such as fish, which is one of humanity’s much deserved sources of food. In this regard, One Health Approach imposes ecological responsibility upon all of us to care for the environment and the bio-diversity therein.”
He said the production and use of animal vaccines is an important space and tool for conservation, particularly to deal with trans-border animal diseases.
“In Botswana, our 43-year-old national premier pharmaceutical institution called Botswana Vaccine Institute has played its role well. Through its successful production of highly efficacious Foot and Mouth vaccines, the country is able to contain this disease as well as supply vaccines to other countries in the sub-region.:
He has however declared that there is need for more help, saying “We need more capacitation to deal with and contain other types of microbial that affect both animals and human health.”
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Masisi saddened by deaths of elephant attacks
President Mokgweetsi Masisi has expressed a strong worry over elephants killing people in Botswana. When speaking in Virginia this week, Masisi said it is unfortunate that Batswana have paid a price with their own blood through being attacked by elephants.
“Communities also suffer unimaginable economic losses yearly when their crops are eaten by the elephants. In spite of such incidents of human-elephant conflict, our people embrace living together with the animals. They fully understand wildlife conservation and its economic benefits in tourism.”
In 2018, Nthobogang Samokwase’s father was attacked by an elephant when travelling from the fields, where he stayed during the cropping season.
It was reported that the man couldn’t run because of his age. He was found trampled by the elephant and was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.
In the same year, in Maun, a 57-year-old British woman was attacked by an elephant at Boro and died upon arrival at the hospital. The woman was with her Motswana partner, and were walking dogs in the evening.
Last month, a Durban woman named Carly Marshall survived an elephant attack while on holiday in the bush in Botswana. She was stabbed by one of the elephant’s tucks through the chest and was left with bruises. Marshall also suffered several fractured ribs from the ordeal.
President Masisi Botswana has the largest population of African elephants in the world, totaling more than 130 000. “This has been possible due to progressive conservation policies, partnerships with the communities, and investment in wildlife management programmes.”
In order to benefit further from wildlife, Masisi indicated that government has re-introduced controlled hunting in 2019 after a four-year pause. “The re-introduction of hunting was done in an open, transparent and democratic way, giving the communities an opportunity to air their views. The funds from the sale of hunting quota goes towards community development and elephant conservation.”
He stressed that for conservation to succeed, the local people must be involved and derive benefits from the natural resources within their localities.
“There must be open and transparent consultations which involve all sectors of the society. It is against this backdrop that as a country, we lead the continent on merging conservation, democracy and sustainable development.”
Masisi stated that Botswana is open to collaborative opportunities, “particularly with identifiable partners such as Virginia Tech, in other essential areas such as conservation, and the study of the interplay among the ecology of diseases of wild animals and plants, and their effects on human health and socio-economic development.”
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Gov’t commit to injecting more funds in fighting HIV
Minister for State President Kabo Morwaeng says government will continue to make resources available in terms of financial allocations and human capital to ensure that Botswana achieves the ideal of eradicating HIV and AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
Morwaeng was speaking this morning in Gaborone at the High-Level Advocacy event to accelerate HIV Prevention in Botswana. He said the National AIDS and Health Promotion Agency (NAPHA), in partnership with UNAIDS, UN agencies, the Global Fund and PEPFAR, have started a process of developing transition readiness plan for sustainability of HIV prevention and treatment programmes.
“It is important for us, as a country that has had a fair share of donor support in the response to an epidemic such as HIV and AIDS, to look beyond the period when the level of assistance would have reduced, or ceased, thus calling for domestic financing for all areas which were on donor support.”
Morwaeng said this is important as the such a plan will guarantee that all the gains accrued from the response with donor support will be sustained until the end when “we reach the elimination of HIV and AIDS as a public health threat by 20230,” he said.
“I commit to continue support efforts towards strengthened HIV prevention, accentuating HIV primary prevention and treatment as prevention towards Zero New Infections, Zero Stigma, Discrimination and Zero AIDS related death, to end AIDS in Botswana.”
He reiterated that government commits to tackle legislative, policy and programming challenges that act as barriers to the achievement of the goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat.
In the financial year 2022/2023, a total of 119 Civil Society Organizations, including Faith Based Organizations, were contracted with an amount of P100 million to implement HIV and NCDs prevention activities throughout the country, and the money was drawn from the Consolidated Fund.
Through an upcoming HIV Prevention Symposium, technical stakeholders will use outcomes to develop the Botswana HIV Prevention Acceleration Road Map for 2023-2025.
Morwaeng stated that government will support and ensure that Botswana plays its part achieving the road map. He said there is need to put hands on the deck to ensure that Botswana sustains progress made so far in the fight against HIV and AIDS.
“There are tremendous achievements thus far to, reach and surpass the UNAIDS fast track targets of 95%- 95%- 95% by the year 2025. As reflected by the BAIS preliminary results of 2021, we now stand at 95- 98- 98 against the set targets.”
“These achievements challenge us to now shift our gears and strive to know who are the remaining 5% for those aware of their HIV status, 2% of enrolment on treatment by those aware of their status and 2% of viral suppression by those on treatment.”
Explaining this further, Morwaeng said shift in gears should extend to coming up with robust strategies of determining where these remaining people are as well as how they will be reached with the necessary services.
“These are just some of the many variables that are required to ensure that as a country, we are well positioned to reaching the last mile of our country’s response to the HIV and AIDS pandemic.”