It is understood that the faction, which was outwitted in the elections by the camp led by Peter Meswele, has given time to the party elections committee to respond to their protests or face court action. The Mzwinila faction boycotted the elections citing irregularities after he lost the race for the chairmanship to Meswele whose camp proceeded to capture all the posts in the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) youth wing unopposed.
A source close to the outgoing committee told Mmegi yesterday that the losing faction decided to protest the results before leaving Kasane. “The decision was taken in Kasane after we realised that the team that conducted the elections was determined not to listen to us. Even the other camp led by Peter Meswele is fully aware of our intentions,” he said.
He added that Mzwinila has been instructed to fight the case to the bitter end. “We are aware that the party Central Committee is boasting that their faction has won and are going to handle our case as shabbily as they did with Kgotla Autlwetse’s protest case,” the source said. He indicated that his faction is determined to fight to the bitter end whatever the consequences to the party. “The party leadership is not taking the youth crisis seriously but this issue has the potential of further splitting us and it will come as no surprise if we perform badly in the elections.” He reiterated that his faction is deliberately making the protest to the party Central Committee knowing that they are not going to succeed.
Mzwinila told Mmegi yesterday that his position of rejecting the results has not changed. Mzwinila lost the weekend polls with a margin of 71 after garnering 216 votes to Meswele’s 287. Before the results were officially announced, Mzwinila denounced them citing irregularities. “We are going to meet as a team and explore all options open to us,” he said. A reliable source confirmed that the Mzwinila faction has planned a meeting for the weekend at an undisclosed destination.
Meanwhile, Mzwinila said they have not taken a decision to accept nomination for the additional members of the youth committee as a consolation. The victorious Meswele camp is yet to meet to decide on the way forward as regards additional posts. “I am yet to meet with my team and decide on the way forward. I am going through the process of consultation and as of now, I can’t go beyond what I have explained to you,” Meswele told Mmegi.
BDP executive secretary, Botsalo Ntuane has said that after the Kasane congress things might cool off among the party youth. “I take it that in the next few days, things will settle down and the youth of the party will get over their Kasane differences and focus on the biggest challenge facing the party, which is the general election,” he said.
According to Ntuane, it goes without saying that in a congress situation, temperatures do sometimes rise to disturbing levels, but there is always the day after. He strongly believes that the BDP has a strong culture of overcoming internal differences to focus collectively on issues of common interest. He said he had not received a formal protest from the Mzwinila camp.
