Tafa eligible to stand for BNF elections - Mohwasa

Botswana National Front (BNF) ideologist Dr Elmon Tafa’s candidature for the position of party deputy president has caused more confusion ahead of the weekend  elective congress in Gantsi.

According to the party constitution Tafa is not eligible to contest for party positions as he re-joined the BNF less than three years ago.  He can only be allowed to contest if endorsed by the congress. Tafa and other leaders were expelled from the BNF during the turbulent times of Otsweletse Moupo in 2008. He would later accuse the committee that fired them led by expelled BNF activist Lemogang Ntime as “kangaroo court” and questioned its legitimacy. In 2010 at Mochudi congress which ushered in Duma Boko as party leader, the party extended an olive branch to its expelled members and pardoned them.

“They never wrote to the party to ask for pardon and readmission but it is the leadership that did so and  the congress  endorsed that, as such this cancels all the wrongs they were accused of,’’ revealed BNF spokesperson Moeti Mohwasa. Mohwasa says the party executive knows that Dr Tafa is a candidate for the deputy president position and the issue of him not being eligible is news to them as they hear it in the media and social networks. He cautioned the BNF cadres to tread very carefully as the elective congress and primary elections are known to be the main causes of the party’s splits and conflicts. “We must look at people’s strength and stop digging out their negative past because it does not define them right now.

This system of washing other people’s dirty linen in public is not good for the party,’’cautioned Mohwasa. Tafa, the former political education secretary for BNF will tussle with Same Bathobake for the vice president position.