Leaders have failed BMD – Rev Dibeela

The Vice President of Botswana National Front (BNF), Reverend Prince Dibeela said as leaders they have failed to bring peace to the troubled Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD). The motherbody of the two organisations, BNF and BMD, Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) failed to take a decision over the impasse at BMD last week Wednesday. Speaking over the weekend at Big Five Hotel in Mogoditshane at the remembrance of the late Gomolemo Motswaledi, Reverend Dibeela said UDC must offer an alternative society.

“We are failing our people. We are failing the young who are excited about this movement. “We are supposed to model something new and different from the BDP. I pray that we stand up and protect this movement from those who want to derail it as the people’s project. There are some who want to destroy this movement,” said the desponded Reverend Dibeela.

There have been rumours that Reverend Dibeela is supporting Ndaba Gaolathe faction because they are planning to form a political party together if the UDC does not favour them in their decision. UDC leadership is expected to meet next week in Francistown to solve the current impasse that has been engulfing the orange movement. But over the weekend Reverend Dibeela fired a salvo at his enemies about the intention of forming a new party. “There are people who go around saying Dibeela and Gaolathe want to form their party.

They say this because they want to derail us from the issue at the moment. The main issue is that all is not well in BMD and as leaders we should stand up to bring peace,” he said. Reverend Dibeela vows that as Vice President of BNF his relationship with BMD is not negotiable. “I will be very disappointed if I deny the relationship we have with BMD,” he said. Meanwhile, Labour Secretary of Botswana Federation of Public, Private Sector Unions (BOFEPPUSU), the Johnson Motswarakgole said the only solution to BMD crisis is that UDC should call for elections.

“We urge UDC that they should issue a directive for elections at BMD. If there is one group that refuses it should not be treated with kids glove. There is no other way to solve this,” said Motswarakgole who emphasised that he was not representing BOFEPPUSU at the event. Last week, the Secretary General at Advocate Sydney Pilane’s-led faction Gilbert Mangole said they cannot hold another election because the past one in Bobonong was expensive for them as they had to use close to half a million pula. “We have just gone through a costly congress, we find no reason to hold another and have no intention of doing so. We will meet them in court,” said Mangole last week. This was in response to a letter written by Gaolathe faction through their attorneys Collins Chilisa, calling for another election.