25 Aug 2014

Botswana Congress Party (BCP) functionary, Mr Sethibe Sethibe says the notion by the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) that there is still no alternative party that can rule the country  is false.

Mr Sethibe said during a BCP rally in Manyana recently that such suggestions were ironical because the reality was that BDP had failed Batswana despite having been in power for close to 50 years.

“How can there be no alternative when they are failing to create sustainable employment for Batswana who are reeling in abject poverty,” he asked rhetorically, saying BCP was solid, well organised and had sound programmes, as such it was the only panacea to problems bedeviling the nation.

He said, being the only party that had boldly displayed its shadow cabinet, BCP was ready to take over the reins and better the livelihoods of Batswana.

Moshupa West Cllr, Mr Olebogeng Sethibe told residents of Manyana that time was ripe for them to vote for his party saying the BDP’s unfettered reign of power since independence had failed them.

He said Botswana Congress Party had arrayed men of integrity in Mr Benny Steglin and Mr Tafa Kalanke who were prospective parliamentary and council candidates for Moshupa and Manyana respectively.

The fact that BCP had one of the well-developed and comprehensive manifestos was a demonstration of the seriousness with which the party took the welfare of Batswana. Mr Sethibe said it was the intention of his party to address the imbalances that came about due to BDP’s ineffective policies to equally distribute wealth among Batswana.

“This country is endowed with so much wealth and as such Batswana should not be poor,” he said, adding that the rising unemployment levels was a clear indication that BDP lacked political will.

He dismissed as a joke perceptions by some section of society that his party had abandoned opposition cooperation saying BCP remained committed to working with other opposition parties to oust the ruling BDP.

He said although the position of his party was to engage other parties in that regard, care must be taken lest his party found itself yoked with people whose seriousness to lead Batswana remained questionable.

The Botswana Congress Party, he said, was a champion of opposition cooperation and that having done so with Botswana Alliance Movement and lately established a working arrangement with MELS vindicated the party.

For his part, Mr Tafa Kalanke said the writing was on the wall that Botswana Democratic Party representation had failed to deliver on its promises to residents of Manyana.

He said there was practically nothing to talk about in terms of developments brought about by the BDP led government in the area. “As I speak, the cooperative, which could be used as a market for small farmers, is not there yet the area councilor is not bothered,” he said.

Places of scenic beauty and tourism attraction places such MmaSechele cave which harbored Bakwena queen during wars, David Livingstone Tree that operated as a school in the past, he said, had not been used to attract and accrue the much needed revenue to develop the area.

He blamed this on poor Botswana Democratic Party representation that has led Manyana since Independence to date. Ends