Masisi instructs party structures to renew mandate
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Tuesday March 15, 2022 06:00
Already, President Mokgweetsi Masisi has written a letter instructing his party's regions, branches, wards and cells to hold their congresses to renew the party structures’ mandate. The BDP has 57 branch committees and is resident in 14 regions. The instruction also extends to BDP Women’s Wing and the National Youth Executive Committee.
The BDP is expected to hold its mother body congress in July to elect its party central committee. According to a letter written by President Masisi dated March 11, which reads: “Reference is made to a letter dated February 23, 2021, in which the central committee decided to suspend all-party congresses to contain the spread of the coronavirus following the increasing number of COVID-19 infections in the country, party structures (region, branch, ward and cell committees) are directed by this communication to renew all structures.” The letter further states that regulations of all structures should be supervised by the Political Education and Elections Committee (PEEC) and members are also requested to adhere to COVID-19 health protocols.
The Monitor has learnt that these structures are eligible to vote at the congress by virtue of the position they hold and they are the ones to hold a congress to choose delegates that will vote at the elective congress.
BDP spokesperson, Kagelelo Kentse told The Monitor he does not have the number of structures that have not yet renewed their mandate. “Most of our structures have not yet renewed their structures.
Only PEEC can confirm how many branches have renewed,” Kentse said. PEEC chairperson Alec Seametso, said only 35% of their branch committees have renewed their mandate, especially in the North West area. "We have given ourselves six weeks to assess our performance when it comes to renewal of party structures. We will know how far we have gone as the PEEC. Currently, some are still holding cell congress, then ward, branch followed by region," he said.