Mavange's letter to Khama is a joke - Boatile

With two months left to elective congress of Botswana Democratic Party National Youth Executive Committee (NYEC) elections, divisions, hatred and backstabbing are said to be prevailing among those vying for positions.

Ever since the youth president Andy Boatile announced that the elections will be held next year in Tsabong, the committee has allegedly not known peace and has been torn into factions fuelled by hatred and sabotage.Last week, Secretary General Simon Mavange-Moabi joined the fray when he wrote to party President, Ian Khama requesting him to change the venue to Ghanzi. His main concern is that committee members were not consulted and “Tsabong has only a Junior Community School while in Ghanzi North there is a senior secondary which is a boarding school.”

According to insiders, Moabi is vying to replace Boatile as President. Boatile is not standing. There are eight people vying for the position. “We wish to register our concern that the committee was not consulted on this decision. We received a reminder from the Party Office to submit the date and venue in time for the Central Committee of November. We were unable to submit to the Party Office in time because we could not reach the Chairman,” he said.

On Friday last week, committee members met at the Cricket Club in Gaborone where they discussed the letter sent to Khama.  “This is the Vice President’s guy. He is the one he sent to plot a candidate to challenge Minister Edwin Batshu during party primary elections. He also wants to challenge Minister Biggie Butale in his constituency,” said the source.

He added, “The elections are preparations for next year’s primary elections and the following year.  Vice President Mokgweetsi Masisi is on a mission to build a team that he will work with once he becomes President and this is why he is supporting Moabi for the position. He has personally told him he has trust in him,” said the source.

Moabi also raised a concern that there will be a by-election in Tsabong and elections are likely to be close to the congress date and that this will result in conflict for resources.

“Youth are the main campaigners and so if we pull them out of the campaign to make preparations for the Congress this will disrupt the campaign.” he said.According to Moabi, Ghanzi North will play a vital role in reviving the party’s visibility because it is an opposition-held constituency.  Reached for comment, Boatile described the letter as a joke because Mavange is an interested party in the elections.

“The committee has decided to hold the congress in Tsabong and that will never change. He is doing this in his personal capacity. But we have talked to him and warned him,” said Boatile. Mavange did not answer his mobile phone and at press time, he had not responded to a text inquiry sent to his phone.