Infighting rocks BDP youth executive

Nkgakile sues fellow committee member for defamation and threat to kill

Botswana Democratic Party National Youth Executive Committee (BDP NYEC) members met on Friday to tackle a thorny and divisive issue that has given them sleepless nights for the past few weeks.

The committee Treasurer Bruce Nkgakile is said to have sought funds to buy office furniture for the committee a few months back. Following this, the money amounting to P27 000 was deposited in the party accounts of which the Treasurer of the mother body, Sata Dada was notified and authorization was issued to buy the furniture. The accusations were then leveled against Nkgakile that he used the money for personal gain, a claim he has vehemently denied.

At the Friday meeting called by Chairman of the committee, Simon Mavange, Nkgakile presented a report to the committee which absolved him of any wrongdoing in the use of the funds.  

“What remains is for Mavange to issue a statement to clear this misunderstanding that has dogged us for a long time,” said a source, adding that the committee’s trouble was that it is divided into two camps aligned to Vice President Mokgweetsi Masisi and Minister Nonofo Molefhi, who are both vying for the party’s chairmanship

“There is a lot of propaganda being bandied around to tarnish each other,” said the source.  Mavange declined to comment on the issue saying he is not mandated to speak to the media.  Nkgakile, who has brought a lawsuit against fellow committee member Collen Mochothi for defamation over the accusation and opened a threat to kill case against him at Broadhurst Police Station, attended the BDP Central Committee meeting this week and was expected to brief the mother body about their decision. “The issue of Nkgakile suing Mochothi was also raised but committee members said it was a private matter which they could not discuss. I am one of the people that want the matter discussed for the sake of peace in our committee because it is not doing us any good,” said the source. Nkgakile did not want to talk about the matter saying his lawyers are currently handling it.