BNF councilors accuse leadership of downplaying critical issues
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Monday June 1, 2026 06:00
According to leaked communications, some members believe there is a growing disconnect between councillors, Members of Parliament (MPs) and Cabinet Ministers, leaving grassroots representatives uninformed about pressing challenges. One such was attributed to Thamaga South councillor, Lawrence Gaorutwe, highlights frustrations over the worsening shortage of medicines in clinics and hospitals across the country.
Gaorutwe stressed that councillors, as the closest representatives to the people, bear the brunt of government failures in their wards, homes, kgotlas, clinics and social spaces.
He warned that silence on the matter is unacceptable, noting that “death cannot be reversed” and that negligence erodes public confidence in government permanently.
In his discussion message seen by Mmegi, Gaorutwe insisted that the call was not a rebellion against the party but a plea for responsible leadership, accountability and urgency.
He proposed that councillors should collectively demand a transparent briefing and, if necessary, form a task team to investigate procurement processes, supply chain management, distribution systems, and challenges faced by clinics and hospitals.
Gaorutwe further cautioned that if the government continues failing to deliver its promises, he would rather resign than remain a councillor for a system that neglects its people.
Moreover, he urged colleagues to act, warning that history will judge them not only by the positions they held but by whether they stood up when citizens needed them most.
“Makhanselara a party e e busang, dumelang betsho ke kopa ka bongwehela ba pelo re tse mo this issue and digest it as much as we possibly can. Melemo. Kana as councillors, we are part of the government and, as councillors, we remain the closest public representatives to the people on the ground. E bile se se botlhoko ke gore batlhophi ba rona do not separate councillors from government, to them, we are the government and truly so,” a leaked WhatsApp message from Gaorutwe reads.
“Every success and every failure is ultimately directed at us daily in our wards, homes, kgotlas, funerals, clinics, and social spaces. Everywhere Jaanong betsho, I strongly believe we cannot afford to remain silent regarding the growing public concern around the shortage of drugs and medicines in our health facilities.”
He noted that people are dying, but the word is that ‘it shall be fine’. However, he said that can never be enough and unfortunately, death cannot be reversed! Furthermore, Gaorutwe said, if someone dies from government negligence, then they automatically lose trust in the administration.
“We have a duty to seek clear explanations and factual understanding of what exactly is happening, from procurement processes, supply chain management, distribution systems, up to the actual dispensing of medicines at the facility level,” the councillor added.
He urged councillors to collectively advocate for a transparent briefing and possibly even establish a small task team.
Gaorutwe, however, said if necessary, they should have a task team. He suggested the task team be responsible for bringing ideas and finding ways of how things can work better or improve services like processes of procurement and time frame, challenges and processes of tendering, challenges of clinics and hospitals and emergency activities or long-term ones.
“If we can keep on celebrating our positions and forgetting their challenges, then history will judge harshly. Are we ready for that? “Let’s not forget the things that we promised people, and therefore, let’s take responsibility and be accountable to them. We are their voice,” his message read.
Gaorutwe declined to comment when Mmegi contacted him about the WhatsApp conversation. “I cannot comment on that message as it is internal,” was his short answer.