BDP divisions emerge in Gaborone region
Gaborone Regional Committee is accused of sponsoring unrest in Gaborone constituencies ahead of the official issuing of Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) Bulela Ditswe writ.
The Regional Committee led by Lepsy Mosope which is comprised of individuals who are all alleged to be potential candidates in Bulela Ditswe expected late this year, is reported to have promised Janjaweed faction linked councillors that they will ensure all in their power that they return unopposed in exchange for their vote last year.
Janjaweed linked councillors are the ones that fought tooth and nail last year to ensure that they remove Father Maphongo and Lotty Manyapetsa as Gaborone City Council Mayor and Deputy Mayor respectively. The councillors took this stance against the will of the party leadership who preferred the duo to continue holding office. Reports reaching Botswana Guardian indicate that the Regional Committee is now embroiled in a constructive disruptive manoeuver to ensure that new member registration in Gaborone is completely halted by any means.
"The rudimentary plan being that if enough turmoil is infused into the registration process the Region would later request the Central Committee to dump Bulela Ditswe and retain incumbents," a BDP source claimed. This is not new, BDP has in the past been embroiled in internal fights when it comes to registration of members in preparation for primary elections.
The situation got worse in the build-up to the 2019 general election where the party was forced to postpone primary elections at the eleventh hour resulting in some employees at Tsholetsa House being fired and a forensic audit sanctioned. Other sources close to the events indicate that at Gaborone Central, councillors demanded that the Branch Chairperson Aobakwe Banamile seize all registration from the Branch Secretary and give to them to ‘audit’.
"For the past couple of weeks, councillors and their supporters have been calling new members day and night claiming to be calling from Tsholetsa House. Led by councillor Jenamiso Mathalaza of Maruapula Ward in Gaborone Central Constituency, who is also a Deputy Regional Secretary, today 2000 duly registered new members will be purged from the registration books for various unscrupulous reasons," another BDP activist alleged. In Gaborone
North where Mosope is active, a similar move is alleged to have ensued. There is no new member registration ongoing.
"Janjaweed councillors are lobbying the Branch Chairperson Tebogo Lesilo to also commandeer all registration books from the Branch Secretary Boipelo Seitlhamo. The councillors were irked that the latter exposed Mayor Austin Abraham who had been holding on to a set of registration books illegally using them himself." A councillor close to the matter stated that the region has now decided to mobilise for the passing of a motion of no confidence on Seitlhamo.
It is alleged that the news that nominated councillor Lotty Manyepetsa has decided to run for Parliament against former Member of Parliament Haskins Nkaigwa, has pushed Mosope to try and take control of Gaborone North as he wants to run as well. In Gaborone Bonnington North, all things came to an abrupt halt over a month ago. It is reported that the Region is heavily to blame for the imposition of Isaac Moseki as a candidate during the recently ended Bosele by-election. Sources close to the matter attest that the Region is pushing to replace Anna Mokgethi with the Regional Treasurer Kagiso Kwelagobe.
In what has become a pattern, the Branch (Gaborone Bonnington North) is at total loggerheads with itself with 10 people being reported to have allegedly resigned en-masse in a bid to collapse the committee altogether. BDP members in Gaborone are now expressing doubt at the capacity of the Political Education and Elections Committee (PEEC) deployee, councillor Leo Motlhophi, to bring the situation under control.
A councillor speaking on anonymity attested, “the PEEC deployee from Tsholetsa House also seems to be afraid of these councillors and failing to do his job. He cannot rein them in and this might cause much damage to the party in the region and a possible loss of all the five constituencies."
This publication understands that by now all members wishing to run for primary elections should have been expected to resign from active committee positions. The delay by the party to enact a law that demands for one to resign from party committee before they could be candidate is now creating room for chaos to continue. Banamile said the concerns from Gaborone Central Constituency are not only from councillors but the general membership.
He revealed that concerns have been raised during the course of the registration for recruitment drive. This, he said prompted the branch committee to halt the process after consulting with PEEC deployee Motlhophi to allow for the process to be audited at Ward level.
“The audit is ongoing with the intention to quell out any doubts from anyone whether a sitting councillor or an ordinary BDP member. The audit is done with the presence of the Cell committees because that is where registration is done,” Banamile said in an interview.
Councillor Jenamiso Mathalaza of Maruapula Ward in Gaborone Central Constituency, who is also a Deputy Regional Secretary had promised to return our call but had not at press time. Regional Chairperson Mosope had not responded to a questionnaire sent to him as per his request.
Motlhophi said as far as he knows, all is well within the region but was quick to refer this publication to Mosope indicating that Mosope is the right person to answer as the regional committee is the one supervising the branches.