Prodigal Mudanga returns to BPP home

LEKOPANYE MOOKETSI
Correspondent | Thursday September 18, 2008 00:00

Mudanga joined the BPP after defecting from the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) where he did not stay for a long time. Mudanga was also a Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) councillor but after losing the 'bulela ditswe' primary elections in 2003, he defected to the BCP.

Once again, Mudanga has crossed the floor to join BPP.  Mudanga, together with other BCP members led by Whyte Marobela, has defected to the BPP to protest against the BCP's decision to allocate the Francistown West constituency to their alliance partners, Botswana Alliance Movement (BAM).  BAM will field their secretary general, Matlhomola Modise in Francistown West. 

Unbeknown to many people, Mudanga was a BPP member in the 80s.  He was a BPP councillor for White City ward but he cost the party a council seat in 1987 when he crossed the floor to join the BDP.  Mudanga and Modise were close friends when they were BPP members.

But in 1987, Mudanga crossed the floor to join the ruling BDP.

At that time, the BPP was still strong and it controlled the then Francistown Town Council.  The BPP staged a demonstration to protest against Mudanga's defection.
They submitted a petition to the District Commissioner's office and Francistown mayor who was Timothy Mongwa.  They carried placards castigating Mudanga.  The angry demonstrators chanted: 'Mudanga ga o na go tsena mo khanseleng' - Mudanga you will not be allowed to enter the council chambers'.

The BPP members threatened to disrupt a full council meeting and stop Mudanga from participating in council activities.  They demanded that Mudanga should vacate his council seat first before crossing the floor.   Some of them threatened physical violence.  

So by joining BPP, Mudanga has gone back to his original political home.  Mudanga would find that most of the BPP officials are new to the party including the president Bernard Balikane.   But one of the veterans that he would find in the party is councillor Motlatsi Molapise.  Mudanga left Molapise in the BPP when he embarked on his sabbatical leave in 1987.

Mudanga said he feels relieved to be going back to the BPP.  'I am going back to my home. I don't have a problem and we have been given a good welcome,' he said.

He said he will help to revive the BPP.  He added that he will never leave the BPP again and he will retire there. He said, he is advised by the people about his moves. 

He said it was only when he joined the BCP that he went on his own accord.  But he revealed that he was advised by the people in his ward to leave the party. 

Mudanga said they decided to leave the BCP because the party decided to allocate the Francistown West constituency to BAM.   'We felt that this was wrong,' he said.

He noted that this was contrary to the pact agreement made between the two parties, that constituencies should be allocated according to the 2004 general elections performance. 

Mudanga said they were against the BCP leadership's decision.  He claimed that when they talked with the leadership to review their decision, they were told to get lost.

He said in 2004, Marobela who represented BCP in Francistown West, came second to the BDP.  On the other hand, he said, Modise performed dismally in Francistown South.  According to him, Modise was rejected by the voters and it was surprising that BCP wanted him to be given another chance.

He said Modise failed when he was representing three parties and what about when it is two parties.  In 2004, BAM had entered into an electoral pact with the BPP and the Botswana National Front (BNF).

Mudanga said when they realised that many people were leaving the BCP, they decided to follow suit.  He said Marobela also joined them. 

Mudanga said the BPP will field him as the council candidate for Tatitown while Marobela will be the party's parliamentary candidate for Francistown West. 

But BCP activist and parliamentary candidate for Francistown South, Vain Maimela dismissed Mudanga as a political opportunist.  'He is a political grasshopper,' said the outspoken politician. 

Maimela, a political activist in Francistown in the 80s, said Mudanga was the first BPP member to cause a crack in that party when he defected in 1987. 'Where is he going to start at BPP,' he asked.

He said Mudanga would not be able to revive the BPP because it is already dead.  'Can you resuscitate a dead person in a mortuary,' he said.

Maimela said Mudanga did not add any value to the BCP because he was new to that party but was already making too much noise. 

He said Mudanga and the other members who left BCP are controlled by Marobela.   'They are his political captives.  Who told them that the constituency belongs to Marobela.'

The BCP official said the constituency was allocated to BAM due to the negotiations they held between the two parties.