Search on for BDP new leadership
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Monday July 18, 2022 06:00
So far, a team led by Vice President Slumber Tsogwane has started circulating its lobbylist for members who want to contest for different party positions.
A rival team led by Nonofo Molefhi has not yet released its lobby list for members who are vying for party central committee positions. The BDP mother body elective congress will be held in Tsabong on August 26-28.
The current scenario however, puts Team Tsogwane in the forefront when it comes to campaigns within the party. Molefhi has confirmed to be contesting for the position of chairperson. The chances for Molefhi to win the position against Tsogwane are slim since Tsogwane has an advantage of addressing structures as incumbent chairman, unlike Molehill. Again, the BDP once its national council passed a motion that they want its Vice President to be party chairperson though they did not include that in their constitution.
Team Stowage so far consists of chairman: Stowage, secretary-general (SG): Kavis Kario, deputy secretary-general: Lemogang Kwape, treasurer: Abdul Satar Dada, deputy treasurer: Jagdish Shah while additional members include: Ngaka Ngaka, Neo Kealotswe, Oabile Regoeng, Angelinah Sengalo and Machana Shamukuni.
The slogan for the lobby list is; “BDP e bopagane go fenya ka-2024 (BDP united to 2024 victory.)" According to a source within the BDP, last week during the party central committee, Tsogwane is alleged to have endorsed a team led by Kario.
That on its own gives an advantage to the team as compared to the other team. Historically, a team given support or a blessing by the party leadership does not lose elections and always has an upper hand compared to other teams. That happened in 2013 when a team led by Guma Moyo was endorsed by former president Ian Khama over others and by then the team was called the Third Force.
The Third Force consisted both A-team, some Barata-Phathi and some businesspeople who were then known to the party but wanted the BDP to take their interests into consideration. By then the members who were in support of the Third Force put on stylish checked flannel red shirts. Again, history repeated itself in 2015 when Khama endorsed the Masisi team over the Molefhi team.
Unlike the opposition parties, the BDP members take the leadership's words as a final say and they do not want to be seen to be going against the word or choice of their leader. The members only defied the party leadership in 2009 when they voted a team led by then the late Gomolemo Motswaledi into a different party position than the one that was then preferred by the party leadership under Tebelelo Seretse.
By then the former President had difficulties with the then central committee and also called for a meeting and later suspended Motswaledi from the party for misconduct. Meanwhile, Mmegi has learnt that the reason why Kario is preferred over others is that some members believe that he is the one who could bring stability and unity to the party and can help to give direction to the party. Currently, the BDP wants an SG who is not fully engaged so that they could revive its structures, especially in constituencies that had been won by the opposition parties.
“The members believe that the party structures have collapsed on the north side of the country and therefore they need someone who can revive the party that side. Again the secretary-general can work hand in hand with a strategic committee for them to come up with strategies for the 2024 general election that could help the party to win. They believe that Kario has the qualities that they need from a person who wants to assume the position of secretary-general.
While there is another lobby list which also consists of Tsogwane as a chairman, without a secretary-general and only includes deputy secretary-general: Raymond Malinga, reassure: Dada, deputy treasurer: Shah and it does not have additional members. For this one, the slogan is; “Reset now, 2024 and beyond” This lobby list is led by Malinga.
However, chances for Malinga to win against the Minister of Foreign Affairs Kwape are slim because Kwape has an advantage because he is a minister and he has a constituency to back him up.
For one to campaign for a party position effectively, one needs a strong support of his constituency. Nowadays BDP Cabinet ministers have started to give support to each other. On the other hand, Kario will battle it out with the outgoing deputy secretary-general Shaw Kgathi. Even though Kgathi is the deputy SG he is not in control of party structures like the current SG Mpho Balopi. Kgathi is expected to release his lobby list before the national party council.