Goya escapes BPF suspension
Chakalisa Dube | Monday March 13, 2023 06:00
At the meeting, some NEC members reportedly attempted to cause Goya suspended after he appeared to be openly against the NEC decision not to hold an elective congress until 2025.
Instead, the NEC has opted for an extra ordinary congress. Goya recently addressed a rally in Kalamare. At the rally, his actions appeared to insinuate that the elective congress will go on despite the position of the NEC.
At the same gathering, former president Ian Khama expressed interest to contest for the BPF presidency. Goya, Khama and Tshekedi (Khama’s brother) are some of well-known BPF NEC members who are strongly opposed to the idea of staging an extra ordinary congress instead of an elective one. At the near heated Monday meeting, the general thinking amongst other BPF leaders was that Goya is part of the NEC and he should not have created insinuations that there will be an elective congress while a consensus and contradictory decision was taken on the matter.
Last month, the BPF NEC took a decision to suspend its elective congress to 2025 in a bid to enhance preparations for the 2024 General Election. Many at the Monday NEC meeting allegedly posited that creating insinuations that that there will be an elective congress can render the party ungovernable. That is why they wanted Goya to be slapped with suspension.
Goya reportedly survived suspension after he apologised for creating impressions that there will be an elective congress. He, however, vowed that he will never stop campaigning for Khama to be BPF president because there are people who want him to occupy the seat. Goya’s position that he will continue campaigning for Khama was met with sheer disapproval from other NEC members but he refused to back down.
While BPF president Biggie Butale would not confirm or deny that there were plans to suspend Goya or that the NEC was in a near heated meeting, the latter did shed light on what transpired. “Creating impressions that there will be a congress while addressing a rally in Kalamare was slip of the tongue and I apologised to the NEC,” Goya said adding that he fully acknowledges that the decision not to go for an elective congress was a collective, although he was against the move. He further said: “I appreciate the position of the NEC but it is unconstitutional. For the party to go for an extra ordinary congress, two-thirds of the branch constituencies must have proposed that. There are those who are also not happy with the current NEC members and want an elective congress.” His other reasoning is that the BPF has now stabilised and the party is ready for elections. The elective congress was first postponed late last year in a bid to quell tension in the party.
The former Palapye Member of Parliament also denied that he is eyeing Serowe West constituency (in the event that there will be a by-election), which is why he is doing the bidding for Ian (Khama). The latter wields so much power in Serowe by virtue of being a paramount chief of Bangwato. There is a perception that Goya assumes in his favour that he can ride on Khama’s popularity to clinch Serowe West. Tshekedi is the current area MP but there are growing concerns that the constituency will soon be declared vacant because he has been away for some time.
In fact, if Tshekedi does not come before the end of the current parliamentary sitting, his seat will be declared vacant. “I have never had any aspirations for Serowe West. There might be people pushing it because I am originally from Serowe. Contesting there will be a party decision. I will also need to reflect and consult my family, Tshekedi and the Palapye constituency. It will not be an easy decision”.