Masisi linked to ‘covert’ plans to oust Batshu

There are growing concerns that Vice President Mokgweetsi Masisi risks compromising his chances of retaining the position of Botswana Democratic Party chairman which he reportedly seeks to defend at the elective congress next year.

Masisi, who is the current Vice President also seeks to succeed President Ian Khama as Head of State when Khama retires at the end of his two five-year terms in 2018. Unconfirmed reports say that, the current Minister of Infrastructure and Housing Development, Nonofo Mofefhi, is challenging Masisi for the two positions. A recent visit to Tutume by Vice President, Mokgweetsi Masisi has ignited angry accusations by members of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) in the area who complain that the VP disregarded protocol when he jetted into the village and met party members with neither the involvement nor knowledge of the party structures in the region or constituency.

It is alleged that Masisi has been meeting and talking to party veterans such as former Members of Parliament for Nkange constituency Obed Chilume and his successor, Ambrose Masalila. Sources in the BDP in the Nkange constituency which encompasses Tutume note that in the runup to the 2014 general election, there was palpable animosity between Chilume and Masalila on the one hand and Batshu on the other. Masalila lost the BDP primary elections to Batshu before the 2009 general election. Apparently, he was not happy with the outcome of the primary elections hence the fallout, which sources say continues to this day. BDP sources say that Masisi, who has been recruiting members of the opposition and especially from Botswana Congress Party, wants to position his own people in the constituency to help his bid for the chairmanship and later, Head of State.

This has not gone down well with supporters of Edwin Batshu, the sitting MP as they insist that Masisi wants to replace Batshu with former BCP chairman Batisani Maswibilili in the next general election. Maswibilili, who is the current Chairman of the BCP Committee of Elders, has unsuccessfully contested the constituency losing to Masalila twice and to Batshu once. Matters allegedly came to a head when Masisi was officiating at Batshu’s victory party recently. “We had heard rumours that the Vice President had been holding clandestine meetings with both Batshu’s detractors as well as BCP members he is allegedly recruiting into the party to oust Batshu in the next election. What we found suspicious about the whole thing is that the Vice President never saw the need to meet party structures in the area. He went behind them and held secret meetings with some members instead.

“This has prompted suspicions that he has a hidden agenda,” said a party official in the area speaking on condition of anonymity. He added that, because the rumours of Masisi’s alleged flirting with BCP activists had been flying thick and thin, Masisi seemed to confirm them when, to the utter chagrin of the BDP fraternity, he invited the group of BCP members who had sat under a tree at the victory celebration, to come forward and sit at the top table which they reportedly did. When contacted for comment, Maswibilili could only say, “I will not glorify the madness of the BDP members and duplicity of some BCP members who are spreading the false rumours.” Maswibilili, who does not understand what the fuss is all about, refused to shed more light on his relationship with the BDP save to say that he innocently attended the rally with other BCP activists.

Interestingly, a BDP councillor, Ishmael Mokgethi and Botho Ntirang are said to have openly come down heavily on the Vice President regarding his way of operating. Mokgethi, who is the chairman of the Tutume Sub-District, reportedly lambasted Masisi for holding secret meetings with certain party members in the constituency to the exclusion of others especially the party structures. When contacted for comment, Mokgethi said, “It is true I complained about certain things that I felt were not being done properly.” For his part, Ntirang is said to have lectured the party ‘elders’ on the need to be careful with new recruits. Masisi has been accused of being obsessed with new recruits at the expense of the older members who have demonstrated undying loyalty to the party. There has also been a tendency by Masisi, who has been on the rampage winning over members of the opposition to the ruling party, to have them welcomed at rallies outside their places of residence. For example, when Ditiro Majadibodu and a number of BCP members joined the BDP, they were unveiled at a rally in the Barolong-Mabule constituency during a by-election there.

More recently a group of BDP members returning to the party after leaving in connection with their controversial loss in the primary elections towards the 2014 general election, were paraded at a rally in Kalakamate just before the recent by-election there. Some of them come from Zwenshambe while the others originate from Nlapkhwane villages. “It is true that I stood to address the issue of welcoming people back into the party but outside the places they stay and will likely contest. The time has come for us to evaluate the benefits of this new strategy. Some of us doubt if it works,” said Ntirang. Chilume denied knowledge of any plan to oust Batshu. While he admitted to having had meetings with the Vice President, he said, “Maswibilili and I meet a lot over issues of the development of our village. I am one of the founders of the BDP especially in this area and therefore as far as Masisi is concerned, I worked with his father at government when Mokgweetsi was a student. We discuss a lot of things and not Batshu. In any case, as chairman and Vice President, Masisi does not need permission from anyone to visit whomsoever he wishes to visit,” said the veteran politician.

As far as he is concerned, Batshu need not fear anything because if the people want him, they will return him to Parliament. “Why is he afraid?’’ asked Chilume rhetorically. In an interview, Batshu denied knowledge of the allegations doing the rounds that he is the target of an internal effort to replace him. “To be honest, I am not aware of it but in politics, there are always enemies. Regarding Maswibilili, I personally would be happy to have him in the BDP. With respect to who stands and who does not, that is a matter for members to decide. There are processes to be followed,” said Batshu. Masisi could not be reached for comment as his mobile phone was off air at the time of going to press.