BDP suspends Phikwe mayor

EPHRAIM KEORENG
Staff Writer | Wednesday December 9, 2009 00:00

 

The councillor became mayor under a cloud of controversy after he defied a BDP caucus decision to contest for deputy mayorship. Instead of using his casting vote to choose a BDP councillor during a tie in deputy mayor's race, he opted for an opposition candidate.

This annoyed the party with indications that it is only a matter of time before he suffers the consequences of his defiance. So it was no surprise yesterday when BDP executive secretary, Dr Comma Serema told Mmegi that the party central committee in its Monday meeting resolved to suspend Mukokomani for voting with the opposition. 'He embarrassed the party by doing so. What he did is contrary to the party constitution, which says that members should vote in the best interest of the party,' he said.

During the mayoral elections, Mukokomani is said to have broken ranks with his party colleagues who had agreed at a caucus that he should be deputy mayor whilst another party colleague Tebogo Matlhogonolo would take the top post. Mukokomani is said to have sprang a surprise on his party colleagues when he went for the mayor's post and won with support from opposition councillors and his BDP allies. He added insult to injury when he cast his vote for Batlhaedi Mponwane of the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) to become deputy mayor instead of Mmapula Phuduhudu of BDP.

Meanwhile, Serema has said that the BDP is working on installing a new system of computing party membership to improve efficiency in record-keeping. He said that they realised that the old system is overburdened and they lose a lot of data. 'We are also working on the evaluation report on the general elections. The report is being prepared by BDP NEST (National Elections Strategy Team) led by Specially Elected MP, Vincent Seretse. We expect it to be out next year by March,' he said.