Disagreement over where and how AP chose UDC over BCP
Confusion reigns over how and where the decision for Alliance for Progressives (AP) to work with Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) was taken. While the leadership of AP insists the decision was by the party collective at their Conference held at Adansonia Hotel in Francistown last year, other party activists say nothing of the sort was discussed there.
The matter emerged this week after former Member of Parliament (MP) for Mogoditshane, Sedirwa Kgoroba, told The Midweek Sun that he will officially join the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) at its congress in Tutume village in July. Kgoroba had reiterated his statement that he could not associate with deceptive and unprincipled leaders of AP who recently announced they had quit cooperation talks with the BCP and have opted to work with the UDC instead.
Kgoroba maintained that at no point did the AP membership gather anywhere to make a decision to work with the UDC, but that the last time the membership met, they had mandated the leadership to work with like-minded parties, with the UDC specifically cited as a no-go area. When this stance changed, Kgoroba says he has no clue.
However, AP Vice President Wynter Mmolotsi insists the decision was made by the general membership of the party at Adansonia last year. He told The Midweek Sun that the party was not given specifics of who to work with, and so they chose to work with the BCP, and when things did not go well, they decided to move on to work with the UDC.
“Mmolotsi is not telling the truth when he says the Adansonia conference in Francistown mandated the leadership to discuss cooperation with the UDC as well. In fact, the gathering was categorically against any association with the UDC. The AP could talk only to like-minded parties and the UDC was named as not being like-minded as it has no democratic credentials,” refutes Kgoroba, who maintains that the AP leadership was selfishly out to position themselves for parliamentary tickets which they believe would be easier to attain if they associate with UDC than the BCP. It is for this reason, he adds, that he has opted not to sell his soul to the devil but would rather join the BCP which from last year's conference, were always seen by the collective as a party that could work well with AP because of their common belief in good governance principles.
Alongside a handful of followers, Kgoroba has been openly flirting with the BCP since his fallout with AP. However, he said they have not yet formalised their intensions.
“We have not formally joined the BCP as yet. We are currently on the ground recruiting others especially within the ranks of AP to join us before we become part of the BCP. Many are still undecided and we do not want to leave them behind,” Kgoroba told this publication in an interview this week.
Kgoroba is a founding member of the now inactive Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) in 2010. He became a founding member of AP in 2017 following a violent skirmish at the party congress in Bobonong which led to BMD splitting, and the birth of AP.
This past weekend, Kgoroba led a few of former members of AP to the BCP Leadership Forum in Palapye where he delivered a solidarity message. Speaking to this publication in an interview afterwards, he accused his former party the UDC of being dishonest, inconsistent and opportunistic.
“The founding principles of the AP are democracy and good governance, which principles the UDC does not subscribe to,” said Kgoroba, whose resignation from the AP he maintains was a protest move for his party leadership’s decision to become a part of the UDC.
Mmolotsi, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Francistown South, does not plead guilty to Kgoroba’s charges against AP. Mmolotsi is known to have publicly denounced the UDC as a party AP could never work with, naming the UDC leader Duma Boko a 'thief' who was hell bent on selling the country to the highest bidder. He however tells The Midweek Sun that the decision to go the UDC way was not an individual's thing, but a popular decision by AP general membership.
Asked whether the party has made peace with the reality that Kgoroba and company have moved on, Mmolotsi explained that, “Although some of them have not formally resigned from the party, we can tell from their actions such as attending and even participating in the activities of parties with which we have no form of partnership, we no longer consider them our members. As for Kgoroba, he has resigned and we have accepted his decision.”
He added that even as they will be talking to the UDC soon, their doors will remain open for any other opposition political formation wanting cooperation with them.
“It should be noted that we currently do not have any agreement with the UDC. However, we are about to begin the cooperation talks,” the AP vice president said. The AP leadership reported recently that their decision to dump talks with the BCP was made because the BCP was infiltrating their party, and because they could not agree on allocation of constituencies.