BDP head honchos intervene in Mogoditshane dissension
Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) deputy secretary-general, Shaw Kgathi on Tuesday met with both Mogoditshane branch and regional committees in an endeavour to appreciate the source of the raging political brouhaha in that area.
The other purpose of the meeting was for Kgathi to understand what could have exactly transpired during the Ledumadumane East by-election.
Those called to the Kgathi meeting included Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Tumiso Rakgare and Ledumadumane ward committee members.
Information gathered shows that former Cabinet minister, Kgathi was sent by Vice President and party chairperson, Slumber Tsogwane, to get information on what is exactly happening in Mogoditshane constituency.
This comes after members exchanged obnoxious letters with the party leadership. There has also been calls for action to be taken against the errant party operatives especially that the party loss in the Ledumadumane East is blamed on some of the cadres.
“The deputy secretary-general did not make any ruling on the issue of the by-election.
But he told members that he is going to submit a report to the party chairperson after hearing all sides of the story and that action will be taken against those that the party sees the need to. On the issue of Mogoditshane branch chairperson, Percy Tshuba together with other committee members, the deputy secretary-general told the regional committee to go and listen to the matter and make a ruling on it. He told them that the central committee will only intervene if they fail to do so,” a source who preferred anonymity said this week.
It is also understood that Kgathi warned the committee members to stop leaking internal information to the media and that the party will take action against those who do so.
When responding to Mmegi enquiries, Kgathi admitted that indeed he met both Kweneng regional and Mogoditshane branch committees and some other BDP members from Mogoditshane.
“I cannot share party internal matters with the media. I have warned those members to stop leaking party information. I am shocked that they did not stop and I am sure they have told you everything that was said in that meeting,” he said.
Last week, the Mogoditshane branch committee passed a motion of no confidence on its branch chairperson, Tshuba.
A meeting that allegedly convened without the branch chairperson’s knowledge intended to take him out as he is said to be pro-MP for the area, Rakgare.
The letter written to the party office by ward chairperson, Kingston Mmolawa read: “The above mentioned BDP members have throughout the by-election campaign period contravened multiple sections of the BDP code of conduct as stipulated in the party’s constitution.”
Furthermore, they individually and collectively attended a party hosted by their fellow democrat, herein changed/listed, to celebrate the opposition byelection victory.
There is no doubt that their collective persistent decampaigning of the BDP candidate led to the ruling party failing to retain the council ward.
The offences that the members had committed include campaigning for or promoting the interest of other parties against those of the BDP and its candidates, sowing seeds of discord in the party, using regionalism, tribalism or factionalism, persistently and without just cause undermining the respect for or impeding the smooth functioning of party structures, engaging in organised factional activity that goes outside the recognised norms of free debate inside the party structures and threatens its unity, washing the party dirty linen in public and using parliamentary or council positions and privileges to attack the party and its government, Mmolawa had said.