BDP Tswapong South Branch Committee clash with members

Concerned group reports the committee to party leadership Branch committee accused of fueling division

Botswana Democratic Party ( BDP) Tswapong South Branch Committee finds itself between a rock and a hard place as it is accused of promoting factionalism in the area.

The constituency is currently held by the opposition, which it won in 2019 under the Umbrella for Democratic

Change ( UDC). The contention by some members of the party is that the Branch Committee has taken sides and have paraded candidates for both Parliament and council seats of their own preference.

The BDP in Tswapong South is expected to have a two horse race between former area MP Dorcas Makgato and Deric Ramaano. However, sources have revealed that Ramaano was vetted out by the branch committee for allegedly refusing to attend a compromise meeting called by the committee. Sources indicated that this has been a ploy by the committee to have the former MP to go unchallenged in the primaries. It is alleged that there are also plans being made by the branch committee to find ways to discredit Ramaano. The BDP Central Committee on Tuesday started the process of vetting candidates in preparation for Bulela Ditswe.

According to a complaint letter written to the party leadership through the member of Central Committee ( MCC) and copied to the secretary General, Kavis Kario, a Concerned Group has lashed out at the Branch Committee for dividing the party.

The letter signed by over 80 party members argue that on the 9th February 2024 the branch committee launched a constituency structure resuscitation/ election drive, an exercise which covered all the nine wards and lasted up to February 17th 2024.

According to the concerned group, there has been humiliation of some candidates wherein most of those meetings the branch secretary moved to introduce potential candidates both council and parliamentary.