Voters’ roll dispute rocks BNF
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Friday July 18, 2025 11:38
The dispute threatens to overshadow what is shaping up to be a fierce contest for key leadership positions within the party.
The upcoming elections will pit two heavyweight teams against each other: one led by veteran party spokesperson, Moeti Mohwasa, his running mate, Dr Stephen Modise, and the other camp, by current secretary-general (SG), Ketlhalefile Motshegwa, and his deputy, Nelson Ramaotwana.
From the look of things, the stakes are high, with Modise challenging Motshegwa for the coveted position, while Mohwasa faces off with Ramaotwana for the position of vice president.
On Wednesday, the Mohwasa/Modise axis gathered at the BNF office demanding that they be given the voters' roll. At the heart of the storm is a growing concern from the Mohwasa-Modise camp over alleged irregularities surrounding the voters’ roll.
According to members of this camp, the process leading up to the congress has been marred by a lack of transparency and fairness, particularly regarding access to the final list of eligible delegates.
While the BNF constitution vests administrative authority in the secretary-general’s office, tasking it with ensuring smooth operations in the run-up to party congresses, including the preparation and verification of the voters' roll, the current scenario has sparked accusations of bias.
The Mohwasa-Modise team argues that Motshegwa, who is seeking re-election as secretary-general, cannot be expected to act impartially while he is also a candidate for the same contest.
“We have made several attempts to gain access to the voters’ roll, but our requests have either been ignored or met with silence,” said a source within the Mohwasa-Modise team.
“This gives the impression that the current leadership, particularly the SG’s office, is using administrative power to gain an unfair advantage,” the source pointed out.
But the Motshegwa-Ramaotwana camp maintains that due process is being followed and that all teams will be treated fairly.
Adding to the tension is the perception that the secretary-general’s dual role as both an administrator and a candidate creates a conflict of interest, something that critics say the BNF constitution does not adequately address.
Though the constitution does allow members to form teams for the purposes of campaigning, it mandates that such teams must be dissolved immediately after the elections.
There is yet another concern now that the administrative machinery may already be compromised.
“This is not the first time we’ve had friction over the voters’ roll,” said a long-time party member. “But this time it feels different. The mistrust is deeper, and the stakes are higher,” added the member.
In an interview with BNF administration officer, Oabona Molefe, on Wednesday, he said, “This is sad, and what members are saying is not true. No team has access to the voters’ roll. Already, 85% of it is done, but 15 % are those who have queries that we will not share with the media. Those constituencies had brought parallel delegates. The Executive committee will have to deliberate on it,” stated Molefe.
Furthermore, he said the party is expecting 4,200 delegates to cast votes at the congress.
He, however, said the number might go down if other constituencies that have queries are disqualified. Molefe said the reason why this year’s congress had attracted a lot of interest and high stakes is that the BNF is in power through the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC).
The BNF administration officer said the voters' roll will be available soon after the issue of parallel delegates has been dealt with by the executive committee.
He advised members should understand that the voters' roll is simply a compilation of names of delegates that were chosen during the wards and constituencies congress.
In addition, he said that where there is a contest, fights or tension are bound to be there. Moreover, he assured the members that there are not going to be any irregularities as elections will be free for all delegates.
The administration officer also pointed out that it is important that some BNF members are supposed to understand the BNF constitution well and the roles of the SG position, together with their responsibilities.