'UDC symbol could spell end of BNF'

Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Tuesday January 28, 2014 16:44

The faction adopted this resolution at a meeting at Marapalalo Hall in Kanye over the weekend.The purpose of the meeting was to brief BNF members who share this view and to chart a way forward.

The idea is to bring pressure to bear on the central committee to convince BNF's partners that this is the way to go, a task that could prove insurmountable - even divisive - given the tortuous background to the adopted symbol of the three partners - the BNF, the Botswana Peoples Party (BPP) and the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD).

  The faction told the meeting that it was late in the day for any entity to adopt a new symbol.

It had a stark message: Doing so could ring the death knell for the BNF.

At any rate, if all else failed, only a congress could resolve the issue, the meeting resolved.

To that end, the meeting agreed that the Temporary Concerned Group should seek another meeting with the BNF central committee.

Members of the Temporary Concerned Group include Meshack Mthimkhulu, Tona Mooketsi, Malatsi Mokhubami, Letshwiti Tutwane and Mogalakwe Mogalakwe (the last two did not attend the meeting).

Mthimkhulu told the meeting that it was desirable that the BNF veteran's association, an informal but influential group made up of elderly members of longstanding, mediated between the leadership of the party and the Temporary Concerned Group.

It was also resolved that the BNF leadership should deal with internal matters of the party without involving the BMD. Further, the relationship between the two parties should be limited to this year's general elections.  

The Secretary General of the BNF, Tapiso Kgosikoma, had earlier stated that the central committee was willing to meet the Temporary Concerned Group.

However, a recent meeting between the central committee and the Temporary Concerned Group failed when the militant faction did not turn up.