'BCP councillors betrayed the party'
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Monday June 20, 2022 06:00
This is despite the BCP's efforts to inform the councillors in May this year that the party leadership will not be available on the date set to meet with the UDC NEC over the matter. As a result, the BCP had not given the councillors the go-ahead to meet with the UDC NEC. Instead, the councillors went on to meet part of the NEC that UDC president Duma Boko led on June 11. When asked about the matter, the BCP spokesperson Mpho Pheko said: “Constitutionally, the ward and constituency committees are the party leadership at ward and constituency levels, respectively. We are yet to get a briefing from these structures on what transpired over the weekend of June 11.
It will, however, be amiss and not procedural for a section of the UDC NEC to meet regional councillors without consultation with the local party leadership.” Pheko added: “As you may be aware, any organisation such as a political party is governed by rules and regulations as would normally be provided for in its founding document (the constitution).
The constitution defines all decision-making structures of the party and the rights and responsibilities of members.” She said all party members are expected to know and abide by all decisions of other leadership structures empowered to make them. She explained that members perceived to be going against such decisions will be counselled; failing which, appropriate disciplinary structures will act as required. In addition, the spokesperson revealed that the party is in the process of addressing all structures (nationwide).
Furthermore, regional conferences are ongoing ahead of the national conference set for the weekend of June 18. She continued: “The leadership of the BCP will address the general membership of the North West region in Maun as part of the ongoing party consultative meetings. We expect all structures, including elected representatives, to be at that meeting.” According to one of the councillors, they share different views on the matter since some want them to hear the party first before deciding on the matter, while some are clear they do not support the move the party wants to make. “We believe issues raised by the BCP, regarding UDC, could be solved.
Again, history has shown that Batswana want a united opposition and we cannot repeat the same mistake we made years back. As the BCP, after the 2014 general election, a resolution was made by party members at the conference, which was binding. By then, some did not support the idea of joining the UDC, and some defected to other parties. We cannot afford to lose other members again. To start with, the party that we want to cooperate with does not have members and it is going to be a liability for us.
We need strong parties or else we are going to be the biggest loser in the coming 2024 general election,” an insider said. A letter addressed to the North West councillors by the party secretary-general, Goretetse Kekgonegile on May 10 reads in part: “It is our view that on requesting to meet the UDC NEC, you intended to understand events leading to the Bophirima scenario and reasons behind misunderstandings amongst UDC NEC partners more especially the Botswana National Front (BNF) and the BCP. Such balanced conclusions can only be made when all concerned parties inclusive of the BCP have made their submissions or narrated their side of the story.” The letter further reads: “Unfortunately the BCP representatives cannot attend the meeting because as always within UDC NEC, there have been no fruitful discussions on the convenient date of the meeting as the BCP had engagements on the dates suggested.” It further says it is going to be unfortunate that councillors will hear a one-sided story when the UDC NEC for the first time would have an opportunity to be heard by individuals outside the structure who can independently identify challenges and advise accordingly.
The BCP secretary-general said the lack of a conflict resolution process and protocol within the UDC is one of the major challenges that need immediate solving. The letter indicated that Members of Parliament would not attend the meeting.