Using ballot instead of blood
- 1. USING BALLOTS NOT BULLETS AND BLOOD FOR CHANGE IN BOTSWANA By Christopher Christian Seagateng October 2014 is fast approaching; the youths are becoming jittery about the unknown. Some are very certain it is a market day for their kind of skills without knowledge that they will survive to witness or if they will survive the deadly task of assassinating opponents, blackmailing, threatening and stealing ballot boxes. May we be reminded our voices and positive actions may avert some of the ugly unforeseen and unknown. Let us focus our attention on such issues and find means of suppressing those individuals that are ready to engage these youths in such missions. The extent of criticism from us the Batswana youth is becoming destructive to the National and Institutional image of our country. As long as we will be making noise without action, our corrupt public office holders and politicians will never make that change happen. It is our own responsibility to make it work. Therefore we have to put in more effort in positivity than negativity. As determined focused Batswana let us uproot corruption from its root when we become part of the decision making mechanism from the grassroots. If you leave the grass unweeded, it will become the forest of monkeys. Positioning intelligent, articulate, available, accessible, visionary candidate with passion for selfless service will root out corruption and a great Botswana highly developed will emerge. Let us talk less of the stolen wealth, let us protect the stored wealth and let us take charge of the springing unending God given wealth embedded in our soil. Developing articulate programmes constructively for achievable development will turn us to envy of nations. In our effort to make a good change in our attitude and the historic poor leadership style known to Botswana for ages, individuals and groups must put some strategies to checkmate the present political structures that exist, meaning we have to key in the idea of peaceful revolution via election, October 24, except if the system prove us wrong. We know the kind of philosophy our politicians are priding on, "do or die". Are we afraid to challenge such a devilish decision? Why can't we cast our votes and protect it from the evil that will rig us out.
- 2. The stage has been set, for the remaining days all that is needed is to mobilize the public and the youths through simple lessons on the danger of not playing any useful role and the danger of playing bad roles. Fellow youths, those among us that are good in procrastination must understand that the citizens are bigger than the government and the youths are the most valuable assets to every nation. Therefore it is the responsibility of the people to stand against corruption, injustice and impunity for democracy to thrive. But from the utterances of some of the youths, we understand that their opinion and views vary to that of true patriots, some are sounding like sell out, bigots and unpatriotic citizens. Are we all saying that nothing is wrong with our system? Or are we saying that we are not the ones responsible for making the change? Why are we complaining of joblessness, insecurity and lawlessness? Why are we complaining of bad roads, lack of electricity, poor health care services? Why is the rate of crime getting higher everyday? Can those of us nursing the fear that the call for protest is base on sentiment tell us to ignore the issues and let us all be consumed? I know some of us are innocently condemning the effort simple because, Botswana seemed not to be ready for a sincere change. They also feel Batswana cannot be trusted, forgetting that we are all praying every minute hoping that God will show us way forward. We are all asking questions that have difficult answers to be fetched, though less difficult than the situation we are in today. This difficulty contains the answer to our problems, what we need to do is to develop some sort to attitude that will counter the attitude of those that are enjoying the bad system, it must be some sort of sacrifice, we have to beat the system using the elections not guns and blood. If we refuse to use the political tool, then the only option is chaos, and going by the composition of sentiments across syndicated affiliation in our country, a struggle for national rebirth will surely turn deadly and the damage can never be imagined. Botswana is a peaceful land with peace loving people but now being threatened by the saboteurs and enemies of peace and public orders. To those finding the acts of instability as means of getting rid of this country, the eyes of the law are watching you and to you, yes you, the Batswana citizens, be on your guide and know that every country has its own challenges and Botswana is not an exceptional. Let us work hard and decide the fate of this country through our
- 3. October 24 votes to ensure we realise the dreams of our founding fathers when they got us independence so that our unborn children don't experience what we are experiencing in our present national lives. We are responsible for our actions and inactions. Our destiny lies in our hands and we must decide to live or not to live.