During the comments and questions session, BCP members attacked Kgosipula who recently left the party to re-join BNF. They took turns in challenging Kgosipula’s recent contention that instead of negotiating for unity, the opposition parties should just disband and join BNF because that is where most of them came from. On Sunday, BCP members said the statements made by the former Mogoditshane MP are insulting.
After being given the floor, one BCP member fumed and urged Kgosipula to disband alone and stop tarnishing the name of their party. “A a itele sentle a lese go re senya leina. O re timeditse jaanong o leswafatse pathi ya rona. A re re belege ngwana a sa tlhakolwa. (He must appeal to the people properly and stop tarnishing our name. He has misled us, now he is tarnishing our party. Now he says we have a messy baby.”)
Another BCP member said Kgosipula’s behaviour raises suspicions on the sustainability of opposition cooperation. He suggested that BNF should keep him for 10 years without giving him any party position to assess if indeed he is a true member. This came after Kgosipula announced that he is a member of the organising committee of the BNF.
As the BCP continued the onslaught, BNF members became emotional and pleaded to be given the floor to respond. But the master of ceremony refused to avoid any more confrontations and attacks. BNF president, Otsweletse Moupo told the rally that it was not good to concentrate on what Kgosipula is accused saying. “As mature politicians, we should not embark on organisational methods of attacking each other. Cooperation is a fragile issue that can attract such debates and we should not bar BCP from participating in it because of the accusations levelLed against Kgosipula.”
He warned opposition members to be focused and avoid being intolerant so that they can make it to 2009 elections in unity. He said cooperation was devised to represent the needs of the electorate and its goals should not be hindered by words of some individuals.
During his address, Kgosipula had said that he was part of about 300 BCP members who decided to disband and rejoin BNF as a way of exercising their rights to choose where they want to go. He said since then, he has been accused and abused. “It has never affected me anyhow because I know what I want. Kgosipula said he had been with BNF for 27 years and only seven with BCP.” He stated that BNF had sound policies in their manifesto but then there were administrative problems within the party that did not reflect its goals, hence they formed BCP.
He warned that politicians must have a spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation if they want to take power. “I have now forgiven everybody and it is now time to iron out our differences and discard infighting. We must also accept that the ruling Botswana Democratic Party has had the opportunity to rule due to our splits as opposition.”
Kgosipula said it is time for the opposition to centre its activities on the needs of Batswana and to identify and address their difference so that they can speak the same language.
He called for the strengthening of the organisational machinery and advised that regions must have functional structures.
Kgosipula pledged that he can assist Selebi-Phikwe region and make a difference in a period of 3-6 months.
BNF policy chief, Elmon Tafa dismissed fears that BNF might end up annexing other opposition parties. He stressed that each party will still stand on its own even under the cooperation initiative. He said the warring BDP factions will take long to reconcile, stating that the party went for its national congress engulfed with the same problems that the BNF had in 2001.
He said the ruling party could have reshuffled the cabinet after the congress because the dominating faction is not good for administration. He said President Festus Mogae made a serious mistake to make Ian Khama his Vice President and heir. Tafa stated that the VP is used to military dictatorship that will affect Batswana and that he does not know the administration of democracy.
