Former BNF SecGen Kgosipula joins Dr. Dibeela’s ‘Team Restoration’
Attributes BNF’s dismal electoral performance in 2019 to disunity, disorganisation and unaccountability of funds Also worried at emerging trend in which members vying for Central Committee positions are attacked
Former Botswana National Front ( BNF) Secretary General Mokgweetsi Kgosipula says the party performed badly in last year’s general election because it was disorganised.
BNF, a contracting member of Umbrella for Democratic Change ( UDC) during the 2019 general election, managed to win only four ( 4) parliamentary seats.
According to Kgosipula the embarrassing BNF loss can only be attributed to the failure by the party to be organised. “One of the reasons for us to have an embarrassing loss is because we got into the elections not united. We were not ready and prepared to contest. As the BNF we were scattered all over. “This is because our primary elections as the party were marred by controversy. This was not helping because this was even fueled by party president Advocate Duma Boko and Secretary General Moeti Mohwasa who wanted to handpick people who should represent the party.
“This divided the party even more. Even in Ngwaketse constituencies it happened and these things need to be investigated,” Kgosipula said during a BNF Southern Regional Meeting over the weekend. Kgosipula who is the campaign manager for Dr. Prince Dibeela’s team for Central Committee told the meeting that if the party had done an evaluation of the 2019 general election it could have established that this is one of the issues that contributed to the BNF’s dismal performance.
He said the issue of division and being disorgansed could have been established and dealt with during evaluation of elections. Even the issue of former President Ian Khama’s impact on BNF’s performance could have been evaluated, he added.
Kgosipula indicated that during elections there was also an issue of funding where people were asking for money using the party name but the funds only went into individuals’ pockets.
There was no accountability, how do we expect people to trust us with government if we cannot account as a party, asked Kgosipula whose utterances flared tempers at the meeting as it was felt he was attacking the party leadership.
He also raised the concern that whenever people want to contest for positions in the party they are attacked. Kgosipula said every BNF member has the right to contest any seat within the central committee without being distracted.
“We have realised that there is a new norm in the BNF where those interested in party positions are being insulted. Team restoration we do not want to be part of any insult. “After the congress we must come back and work together as a unit. As Team Restoration we want to take the BNF back to its glory days,” he said. BNF Vice President Dr. Dibeela is vying for the party’s top seat against incumbent, Advocate Boko. The two camps have been trading accusations since the start of the regional meetings that are being addressed by the party president. Gaborone based lawyer Gabriel Kanjabanga has also expressed his interest for the BNF presidency but the party has since rejected him on the basis that he is not a member of Puo- Phaa.
Kanjabanga has threatened to drag the party to court regarding his membership.