Kgosipula’s reasons are centred on what he termed, “differing political views” with the newly elected BCP President, Gilson Saleshando.
He alleges that he cannot work in a committee where Saleshando is President because of the latter’s indiscipline. He said Saleshando has a tendency of defying party structures and discussing internal party issues in the media.
Kgosipula also said that he could not work with the new president because prior to the congress, he openly declared anti-opposition cooperation stance, something that differs with him (Kgosipula) fundamentally.
Being one of the people who attended the BCP congress and participated in the elections, I wish to disagree with reasons advanced by Kgosipula for declining to stand for re-election. The truth is that Kgosipula read the situation very well and realised that he did not stand a chance against Taolo Lucas who had campaigned better than him.
To put my argument into contrast, out of the forty-seven constituencies that participated at the congress, Kgosipula was nominated by only six.
In Mogoditshane, the constituency that he comes from, there were only six people who were registered as delegates, out of a total possible of forty. Lucas managed to register forty-five delegates from his constituency of Bobonong.
Even among those six registered delegates from Mogoditshane, only two would vote for Kgosipula. He did not canvas for support even in his own constituency.
There was no way he could have won against Lucas given this scenario. He shied away to avoid embarrassment of losing terribly. He now wants to create a scapegoat and accuses comrade Saleshando of indiscipline. He must come out straight and admit that he did not do his work.
Kgosipula also needs to learn to accept defeat in a dignified manner. Being a crybaby, especially when you know you did not do your homework, will not help the situation.
It is surprising that Kgosipula can have the audacity of accusing comrade Saleshando of defying party structures by raising issues concerning the party in the media, when he (Kgosipula) does exactly the same by castigating another comrade in the media.
Comrade Saleshando has never raised party issues in the media, but rather he has simply used his democratic right to air his views regarding the issue of opposition unity.
He never disagreed with the party stance on opposition unity because then there was no stance taken by the party as everything was to be finalised at the congress. Saleshando was opening a debate into the issue of opposition unity, which I honestly believe is permissible under any democratic dispensation. It is really gratifying that Saleshando declared immediately after being elected president that, he will go with what the general membership of the BCP has agreed upon. BCP members mandated the new central committee to pursue the issue of opposition cooperation and Saleshando has pledged to do just that. I do not know if Kgosipula was not present when the president gave his victory speech. He should have picked that.
Kgosipula accuses comrade Saleshando of being unprincipled. If there is anyone who lacks principles between these two men, it must be comrade Kgosipula because instead of supporting and respecting democratic principles of electing leaders, and rallying behind his elected president, he runs to the media to castigate him. Where are his principles here? He should be urging people to support the new president instead of working against the spirit of unity in the party. He wants to create divisions within the party and make the party ungovernable for the new leadership.
Tshiripo Magashe
GABORONE
