WOMAN POWER
Kgafela-Mokoka in race for BPP presidency Intends to rebrand Botswana’s oldest political party
Nono Kgafela-Mokoka has joined former councillor, Cornelius Gopolang in the race for the position of Botswana Peoples’ Party (BPP) presidency this year. Gopolang has already made public his interest to contest the presidency at the elective congress, whose date is yet to be determined.
The vacancy is occasioned by the retirement of the current president, Motlatsi Molapisi who has been at the helm of the party since 2000.
Kgafela-Mokoka confirmed her decision to slug it out with Gopolang in an interview.
“Yes, I am standing for the presidency of the BPP at the next elective congress. For those who do not know, I was born in a BPP family.
“The BPP is my political home. As such, I am not joining the party in the strict sense but merely returning home. I have a wealth of experience in political leadership having held executive positions in the Botswana National Front (BNF) and Botswana Congress Party (BCP) respectively”, Kgafela-Mokoka, who is so far the only woman candidate to declare her intentions to run, said.
Kgafela-Mokoka is resigned to the rumours that the party risks plunging into instability with the more than four candidates likely to contest the presidency.
‘’That is a genuine concern especially if there are rigid lobby lists where people either reject or endorse the entire slate regardless of quality people in the slate”, Kgafela-Mokoka said.
She intends to transform the BPP into a national organisation not associated to a particular region.
“It is for this reason that we have opened an office in Gaborone. The facility is part of our rebranding activities. People are coming to the
Gaborone office in large numbers.
“We need to erase the stereotype that there is no BPP in the south of the country”, said Kgafela-Mokoka, who revealed that she is running the office with Professor Philip Bulawa.
She pleaded not guilty to the charge that she and other politicians, who have been defecting to the struggling BPP recently, may be opportunists.
“Like I have already said in the past, with the BPP, I am not only exercising my freedom of association but am returning home to help the party grow and I feel I can be more effective from the highest level.
“If it was about pursuit for opportunities and positions, I would have stayed at the BCP or BNF where I have held executive positions”, stated the former BCP firebrand.
The other presidential candidate, Cornelius Gopolang does not think the new members should stand for the apex position in the party.
“The presidency of the party should not be accessible to the new party members. They should be restricted from the top-most post”, Gopolang, who himself started his political career at the BPP but later alternated between the BPP and BDP until he re-joined the BPP last year, said.
While the new party members should be allowed positions in the Central Committee (CC), they must never occupy the apex office in the party, according to Gopolang.
Meanwhile, according to impeccable sources, Professor Bulawa is also contesting for the BPP top post. When contacted for comment, however, the academic was somewhat ambivalent.
“I am contesting for a position in the Executive Committee but will not say which one”, he said.
For his part, Tshepo Makhani told this publication that he is still in the process of consultation.
“I need to consult party members especially the BPP veterans before I make my decision”, Makhani said.
Just like in the case of Prof Bulawa, there is speculation that he has long decided in favour of contesting although he will not go public about it now.
Ignatius Moswaane has also just like Makhani and Bulawa, been named among the presidential candidates.
Those in the know say the Francistown west Member of Parliament (MP) who joined the BPP from the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), has made up his mind and is contesting the BPP presidential elections.
However, Moswaane opted to be noncommittal. “I am still new in the party and in need of time to learn more about it. The people will decide whether I contest or not”, Moswaane said.
“I may be new in the BPP but I am not new to politics”, Moswaane said when asked if he thinks new members should be restricted from contesting for the party leaderhip.
To Ignatius Moswaane, the arrival of new members to the BPP is an indication that the party is moving in the right direction.
“We are taking the BPP to the people especially the youth. The people must understand that, unlike the BDP, this party stands for their basic needs”, Moswaane said.