Indiscipline emerges at BCP elective congress
Some delegates’ names mysteriously missing from the voters’ roll New executive called upon to restore unity, discipline
The new executive of the Botswana Congress Party ( BCP) have their job cut out for them, the least of which is healing the simmering tensions which threatens intra- party democracy.
Successful as last weekend’s elective congress was, there are elements of indiscipline and pockets of disloyalty that needs to be nipped in the bud.
A notable positive from the congress is inclusivity as all 48 constituencies that registered out of 57 voted. Since voting took place on a digital platform, the party hierarchy had agreed to embark on a voter education campaign to ensure that the process was transparent. Democracy prevailed throughout the elections and all contestants have accepted the election outcome. However, the executive has called for a postmortem meeting where some of the serious issues that threaten party unity can be ironed out.
Some behind- the- scenes incidents suggest that there is a lot that needs to be done in order to keep the party united. To start with, the elections were contested by two teams; Team Lucas named after Member of Parliament for Bobirwa Taolo Lucas and Team Daisy named after former Women’s Wings president, Daisy Bathusi.
They were both contesting for the Vice Presidency. Team Lucas swept all the stakes with convincing margins.
However, despite having done their homework, they had a scare of their lives in Boteti where all the 21 delegates voted for Team Daisy in all the positions. Team Lucas also retaliated by taking all the 56 votes in the Ramotswa constituency in all positions contested for. It is reported that the elections outcome elicited anger amongst young BCP followers who took to various social media platforms to vent out.
The situation improved when members of Team Daisy such as Bathusi, Moncho Moncho, and Refiloe Aphiri joined the fray to calm the situation. Lucas later followed with a statement.
Lucas’ statement read in part: “As a newly- elected Executive Committee of the BCP, we now have a great responsibility before us. We will grow the party. We shall embark on a massive membership recruitment drive across all constituencies. “We will ensure that party structures across the country are strengthened. We will step up our political education program, with particular emphasis on the importance of the Party’s values, vision, and mission, as captured in our Democratic and Development Program, as well as our constitution.
“We need a strong BCP that is indispensable in Botswana’s politics. A strong BCP is a critical component of the overall puzzle of unseating the BDP from power”. He said that the new leadership will continue pursuing strategic alliances and cooperation with other opposition parties, as well as trade unions and other like- minded formations in the country. He added that the time to unseat the ruling Botswana Democratic Party ( BDP) is long overdue. “The ruling party has become arrogant, corrupt, incompetent, and bereft of any new ideas to develop Botswana and Batswana. The BDP has no strategy of transforming the economy. It has no clue on how to create jobs for Batswana in the midst of unprecedented levels of youth unemployment. “We in the BCP believe that the best form of welfare is to give people decent jobs. As a new leadership, we shall in the true spirit of social democracy, continue to place on the national agenda, alternative economic transformation proposals guided by social justice, human rights, and sustainable development,” he said.
This was Lucas’s third attempt for the position having felt hard done after losing to Dr. Kesitegile Gobotswang in 2014 by a margin of 20 votes in Kanye.
But there the BCP’s rank and file did not want Lucas as he was among the members who were accused of being anti- cooperation or unity of the opposition parties. Further, the BCP cadres took advantage at the time to push gender equality by voting into the executive all women who were contesting. This time the Lucas team is reported to have done everything in order to claim the party hierarchy positions. They campaigned extensively and are reported to have taken a deliberate decision not to invade Boteti hence they lost there. In the majority of the constituencies, Team Lucas was way ahead of Team Daisy. It was however surprising that at the Command Centre in Gaborone where physical or face to face meeting was held, they did not vote for Team Lucas as it lost the constituency. Reliable reports reaching us indicate that there were some elements of indiscipline and pockets of disloyalty in some constituencies such as Selibe Phikwe and Maun West. In Selibe Phikwe, the elections were delayed after one councillor vehemently protested the accuracy of the voters’ roll and register. Her contention was that as a leader she had personally submitted the names of delegates from her ward, but to her surprise such names were not included in the final roll. It took her being pursued by both Lucas and Member of Parliament for Selibe Phikwe West, Dithapelo Keorapetse. Another embarrassment happened in Maun West constituency belonging to party leader, Dumelang Saleshando where there was serious miscommunication and misunderstanding between the constituency chairman and constituency members which led to the constituency failing to adequately prepare for the congress.
It is alleged that the misunderstanding was caused by issues of welfare for the delegates as the chairman allegedly asked several questions before calling off the congress. The problem was resolved by allowing delegates from Maun West to go and cast their respective votes in Maun East belonging to the incumbent Secretary General Goretetse Kekgonegile.