Molefhi’s Team Equity attracts disciplinary action
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Monday September 5, 2022 06:00
Team Equity lost dismally to Vice President and re-elected chairperson Slumber Tsogwane's lobby list in Tsabong over the weekend.
Team Equity may attract disciplinary action from the BDP, because the party's constitution does not allow members to hold any media press conferences and lobby teams are supposed to disband immediately after results have been announced.
The BDP constitution article 34.1.1 says the party President is the principal spokesperson of the party on national and international affairs. According to an insider, the party leadership is concerned by the behaviour displayed by Team Equity because it had never appealed the results nor complained about the manner in which the election was conducted.
“They have gone against the party's code of conduct. What they did is uncalled for. However, some wanted action to be taken against them while others felt that they were simply venting out. The trend will be observed to see if they will continue doing that or not. If they continue speaking to the media and tarnishing the party’s name then action will be taken against them.
Our constitution is very clear on how members should conduct themselves even when they are aggrieved,” an insider said. Still on the matter, the BDP constitution article 13.4, says the members should question or criticize, within the constitutional framework of the party and the bounds of decency and courtesy and not in any selfish, subjective or malicious manner the activities of any member of the party, party official or the actions of the government and administration of Botswana.
When contacted for a comment, the BDP spokesperson Kagelelo Kentse refused to comment and said he was ‘busy’. But defending their action, Molefhi said they had not contravened the party constitution or attacked the party like some think, rather they were responding to utterances party chairperson Slumber Tsogwane made. “Again we were explaining to people some of the things that we observed as candidates.
We needed to set the record straight after what the chairperson said. People needed to hear our side of the story rather than believe his side of the story,” Molefhi said in an interview yesterday.
On the eve of the congress in Tsabong, Tsogwane at his luxurious camp where he was hosting festivities of entertainment, took turns to bash all of the members in Molefhi's team. Tsogwane said Team Equity, which comprised members such as Shaw Kgathi, Unity Dow and Tebelelo Seretse are nothing but Botswana Patriotic Front sympathisers (BPF). "We do not want people with a soft spot for BPF. We want men who have fought against the BPF in 2019. Who amongst them have you heard condemn the BPF?” Tsogwane said.
This did not sit well with Team Equity thereby forcing them to hold a conference to set the record straight. Team Equity now wants Tsogwane to apologise for some of the utterances he made in Tsabong. Molefhi clarified that none of his team members have relationship with former president and BPF patron Ian Khama. He indicated that they are diehard BDP members and would never join the BPF. “Tsogwane attacked us at his rally and tarnished names of his fellow democrats. I believe he did so because he believes we are BPF members and had nothing to lose.
He did not care about respecting us as BDP members. His words are against the party constitution. He has brought the name of the party into disrepute. To say such untruths knowingly was not fair," Molefhi stated.