BOTSWANA: Row Over Nasha's 'Sexist' Language

Statements that were attributed to a senior Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) official, Margaret Nasha, about women politicians, have riled opposition parties.

Addressing a recent BDP function in Palapye, Nasha is reported to have urged BDP male candidates to defeat opposition women candidates.

In Setswana, according to the opposition party women, Nasha's remarks could have sexual connotations that belittle women. She was quoted at a meeting of the BDP in Palapye saying: "Banna, lo ba je batho bao. Mme ebile ka lo ba jele ga ntsi ntsi, se sesha ke eng? You (BDP) men must deafeat those women. In any case you have defeated them several times, so that should be nothing new".

The deputy secretary general of the Botswana Congress Party (BCP), Motsei Rapelan called on Nasha to withdraw her statement because she is also the president of Botswana Caucus for Women in Politics. She said if Nasha wants to earn their support and respect, she must withdraw her offending statement.

She added that the matter should be taken up with the caucus. She describes Nasha's statement as an embarrassment to women.

Rapelan accused Nasha of using very rude and crude language. "I was shocked to read that statement," she said.

She said as the leader of the caucus, they expected Nasha to be advocating for their empowerment.

Rapelang said it is a BDP trend to ridicule women. She added that this is the reason why the BDP government is not implementing gender protocols.

She said some time back during a BDP function, President Ian Khama made some ridiculing remarks about women but they congratulated him.

The BCP parliamentary candidate for Gaborone West North, Anna Motlhagodi found Nasha's statement to be embarrassing.

She said they expected Nasha to encourage women and not to downgrade them. "We expected much more from our president. The purpose of the caucus is to encourage women to win. We regard her as the president for all of us," he said.

The spokesperson for the Botswana National Front (BNF), Moeti Mohwasa called for Nasha's resignation from the caucus because she has failed women.

He called on politicians to refrain from cheap politics bordering on dirty language. He argued that the type of language that Nasha used does not give dignity to politics.

He said this type of behaviour is what is causing voter apathy because people do not want to associate themselves with politics of insults.

Mohwasa said it was disappointing that a high-ranking official like Nasha could use derogatory language. He said the BDP should also call her to order. To him, Nasha does not show respect for women.

Mohwasa said even though she was the president of the women's caucus, Nasha has always been indifferent to the plight of women. He said this brings the seriousness of the caucus into question.

He went on to say out that as the Minister of Local Government, Nasha has failed to advance the cause of women as she did not appoint them to be nominated councillors.

The president of the BNF women's wing, Gaolepe Nthebolan also found Nasha's statement to be shocking. Nthebolan said that kind of statement was not expected from a woman.

She said it is disappointing that a women's leader is abusing them.

Nthebolang said as women, they should be using their numbers of votes for another woman. She said Nasha is using the women's caucus as a hunting ground for the BDP.

Nasha said she was merely saying the BCP has fielded women in constituencies that are hard to win. She said it is true the BCP has fielded more women candidates than even the BDP but in constituencies that the opposition party could not win. Nasha said she found this to be unfair and hypocritical.

As for the language that she used, Nasha said it is common in politics and even men like that. She said this has never been an issue.

"You must leave me alone. I am campaigning. People are dwelling on trivial issues," she said. She said people wanted to blow the issue out of proportion to make it appear as if she was using insulting language.

BDP deputy executive secretary, Fidelis Molao does not see anything wrong with Nasha's utterances, adding that it was just a political statement. He said if opposition officials are crying about it then they are just crybabies. "If they are crying over that they have no place in politics," he said.

Molao said Nasha was merely implying that the BCP was only paying lip service to women empowerment by fielding them in tough constituencies. He said Nasha said that the BCP women's parliamentary candidates have been trounced several times in the past elections.

He said people have always remarked that Saleshando had trashed Nasha in Gaborone Central. He said in Setswana this could be interpreted as: "Dumelang o jele Mma Nasha".

He explained that this was the same language that Nasha used in Palapye and she was not intending to insult anyone.