Masisi's presence in Goodhope-Mathethe Constituency stirs divisions

A Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) star rally held in Goodhope in the Goodhope-Mmathethe constituency headlining President Mokgweetsi Masisi is said to have further fuelled divisions within the party in the area.

The tense factional wars are said to be between BDP Women's Wing President, also Minister of Finance, Peggy Serame and Minister of Health Dr Edwin Dikoloti. Serame is a Specially-Elected MP, while Dikoloti is the MP for the now dissolved Mmathethe-Molapowabojang constituency. Sources within the constituency have revealed that following an incident where one of the party members, Katlego Ian Tau was threatened with a gun at Gopong and opened a case with the police, things have now escalated.

It is alleged that the Serame-led team has now resorted to withholding party information and merchandise from Dr Dikoloti’s team. This happens after it was realised that Dr Dikoloti’s team presence on the ground is far much better that his challenger’s.

“Since the appearance of the president here where he praised the finance minister on her achievement but did not mention the health minister, things have taken a turn for the worst. All that the president said at the stage has been interpreted as a campaign for Serame who seems to be rejected by fellow democrats,” a source said.

A member of the branch committee who did not want to be mentioned for fear of victimisation said; “This is one delicate constituency that the leadership should tread carefully in when dealing with its issues.

“Remember this is also the constituency that has registered the highest number during the IEC voter registration. We are risking having the constituency wrestled from us by the opposition.

“The party leadership should have intervened by resolving the differences than fuel the tensions following the nasty incident where Serame’s team led by Ati Masita clashed with Dr Dikoloti’s team regarding the party’s membership registration books”. The confrontation erupted when Dikoloti's team demanded registration books allegedly in the possession of the Recruitment Subcommittee in Goodhope-Mmathethe, which the team felt were being used to ensure that Serame wins the primaries.

“What has been happening is that there is a National Recruitment subcommittee of the central committee, which has been in the constituency in the name of the president campaigning for Serame.

“They have been giving out party merchandise in the name of Serame and denying the other team same merchandise which is known to have been disbursed from Tsholetsa House to benefit every party member,” another source in the constituency, claimed.

Serame has been viewed as one of the favourites by the party leadership especially the president. Masisi has however indicated on several occasions that democrats should not use his name or of any of the party leadership in their campaign for political office.

Constituency Secretary, Tebogo Keepeile has dismissed all the claims indicating that all is well within the constituency.

“There is no such thing as you have mentioned. All I can tell you is that there is unity and calmness. There is no such a storm, the party is well and united,” Keepeile said in an interview, adding that there is nothing more to say.