UDC CRACKS
BCP defies UDC over Bophirima ward
Secretary General of the Botswana Congress Party (BCP), Goretetse Kekgonegile lashed out at the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) and the Duma Boko led Botswana National Front (BNF).
His gripe is that the UDC, a coalition of opposition parties of which the BCP is a member, alongside the Botswana Peoples’ Party (BPP), does not adhere to democratic principles such as consultation and accountability. The Alliance for Progressive (AP) and the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the UDC for working together on by-elections. At issue is the fact that, the coalition members, the BNF and BCP each want to field a councillor at Bophirima ward in Gaborone Bonnington South constituency.
This follows the death of Kagiso Mongwaketse of Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), who passed on late last year occasioning a by-election. At the 2019 general elections, an agreement was made between the BNF and the BCP to field the BNF aspirant, Mankie Sekete, on condition that the BCP aspirant,
Peter Mogapi, would become a specially elected counsellor in the Bonnington South Constituency, should the coalition win most of the wards in that constituency. As fate would have it, the coalition partners won minority wards in the constituency thereby failing to qualify for nomination within their ranks. After reaching a stalemate on who, between the BCP and the BNF, should fill the vacant post, the lower structures escalated the matter to the Presidential Forum which consists of Motlatsi Molapisi (BPP), Ndaba Gaolathe (AP), (BPF) and Duma Boko (BNF). The structure is chaired by Boko who is also the president of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC). The decision to award the ward to the BNF riled the BCP. “The BCP leadership has met and decided that Mogapi will contest the ward using the BCP colours and symbol. This matter is not about Bophirima. It may have started with this ward but it is about governance and consultation issues within the Umbrella,” said Kekgonegile. In his opinion, the BCP cannot respect the decision made by the UDC because his party was never consulted despite the fact that it requested for a meeting several times over the ward to no avail. “We should have met immediately after the passing of the incumbent,” said the BCP official, who distanced his party from the narrative that the party is using the Bophirima ward as an excuse to leave the UDC.
According to Kekgonegile, the BCP is always ready to compromise by letting go of wards it should contest in order to accommodate other partners. “Why can’t somebody else ever compromise?’’ he wondered, apparently referring to Advocate Boko. “The BCP decision to contest was made on Saturday and we are writing the BNF soon informing them accordingly. We are doing what we can to promote democracy. We will share this with our members and the nation at large,” Kekgonegile said, adding that the last time the UDC held a meeting was the middle of last year. Kekgonegile further revealed that to be on the safe side, not only will the BCP use its own colours in the ballot paper, but will ensure that its leader, Dumelang Saleshando signs the candidate’s nomination forms.
“Boko cannot sign for Peter Mogapi because he has already made a decision that does not favour him,” he said. Quizzed whether he does not see the possibility of disciplinary action by the UDC on his party, the BCP SG replied: “We cannot leave in fear. Admittedly, every decision has got results. As leadership, we are actualising the rights of our membership. We are not violating any principle or regulation of the UDC. If disciplinary action comes, let it come,” noted the former union leader,
emphasising the point that his party has got no intentions or motivation to quit the UDC and stand alone when other parties are cooperating.