Re-energised BPP prepares for elective congress
Botswana Peoples’ Party (BPP) is doing everything possible to host a well-attended elective congress as soon as the situation permits.
Acting Chairman Professor Philip Bulawa explains that among other things, at its meeting a couple of weeks ago, the party filled up the vacant positions in its Central Committee (CC) and redeployed cadres to other positions.
“A lot of groundwork needs to be done before the congress and you cannot achieve those with a dysfunctional committee. The mandate of this committee, which is now at full complement, is to facilitate a robust recruitment drive ahead of the congress.
“We are also formalising party membership by making sure all party members have valid membership cards,” the University of Botswana (UB) lecturer said. He clarified that those not holding membership cards will neither vote nor be voted to any position at the congress.
The new party Chairman who envisages a good attendance at the congress as well as robust competition for positions said the party will engage its members in preevent counselling sessions to minimise divisions in the party after the leadership elections.
He also revealed that one of the mandates of the recently re-constituted committee is to come up with a policy document. “The hope is to have a draft before the congress which will be discussed at the national forum and adopted after a debate.” Although historically a pan-Africanist organisation, the BPP seems to have jettisoned its founding principles and ideologies for some time. Prof Bulawa wants to see the BPP predicating its policy documents including election manifestos on a written party policy document.
The party wants to bring back its veterans so that they may give advice as and when necessary. “Besides, as BPP we intend to make our partners proud by winning the wards and constituencies allocated to us,” pledged Prof Bulawa.
The BPP is in a partnership with the Botswana National Front (BNF) and the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) in the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC). At the last elections, the BPP lost all the five constituencies assigned to it, managing to have only one councillor winning the elections nationwide.
The party now boasts of one MP, Ignatius Moswaane who defected to the opposition from the BDP last year and two councillors who defected to the BPP with him.
The Treasurer General, Maxwell Habana now doubles as Vice President. Meanwhile, Tshepo Makhani, who held no position, is now the Publicity Secretary. Nono-Kgafela Mokoka who has been the Publicity Secretary has been redeployed to the position of Secretary-General with Tiroyaone Ntsima deputising her.
In the meantime, Ignatius Moswaane, who had no post, is the Secretary for Political Education and Campaign Strategy, with Kabo Tangani as the Secretary for Sports, Recreation and Culture.
All the posts are on an acting basis.