BPP membership not happy with 'too ambitious' Moswaane
Member of Parliament for Francistown West Ignatius Moswaane has fallen out with his new political home, Botswana Peoples’ Party (BPP), which he joined in 2020 after a fallout with the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP).
According to multiple sources, immediately after it became clear that Motlatsi Molapisi who is currently the party leader would not contest the apex position due to his advanced age, Moswaane threw himself into the race much to the chagrin of especially older members of the party who had expected him to go for a lower position as he is new in the party and needs time to understand its culture.
“He became so hyperactive in his approach that he threw all caution to the wind. For example, when he set up to build structures, he is so desperate that instead of visiting people in person, he uses his phone to mobilise people and even forms party structures using people he has never met.
“Moswaane is so desperate to become the next party leader that he has thrown all caution to the wind and does not follow the party constitution,” a source preferring anonymity, said. She calls Moswaane’s committees bubble gum structures because they are not expected to last long.
'As far as I am concerned, these are meant solely for the elective congress after which time they will die,” she said. Moswaane is further accused of routinely engaging in acrimonious arguments with party group members sometimes for the whole day.
“He also has this tendency to keep making comparisons between the BPP and BDP as if he longs to return to the ruling party. This has riled many people who have come to doubt whether he even feels at home in the party to the extent that should he fail to be the next leader, he may not remain a member.
“His tendency to also act like he is here as a saviour of the BPP is disingenuous and demeaning to us,” she added, noting further that Moswaane needs to accept that he has not formed a party but has just joined a party that has been in existence for decades.
According to the source, Moswaane has been promising to do a lot of things including buying a fleet of motor vehicles for the party to the point where the pledges border on condescendence.
“He is a party member and has a duty to help the party now without waiting until he is president. There is a problem, he has divided the party. You do not divide an organisation you want to lead but this is exactly what he has done,” said the source, further alleging that Moswaane has been removed from the BPP group on social media because he has been disruptive.
BPP deputy secretary general, Ntsima could not say much save to confirm that he did remove Moswaane from the group platform.
In an interview, Moswaane was philosophical. “You reap what you sow,” he said, suggesting that there is nothing wrong if his efforts can give him the presidency of the party.
“Mind you, I am the BPP political officer. This means I have to travel a lot, mobilise and even educate the new recruits on the BPP philosophy. Each time I travel, I always invite the other leaders and they will not be available to accompany me. Therefore, the accusation of me going out to recruit people so I take the presidency is not true and those alleging know that,” Moswaane said.
He is concerned that people misconstrue disagreement in a debate as a fight. According to him, there is too much intolerance of contrary views in the BPP social media platforms.