Nkate, Kokorwe plan a major BDP return
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Friday March 14, 2014 17:36
Information reaching Mmegi suggests that former education minister and now Ambassador to Japan, Jacob Nkate and Botswana’s High Commissioner to Zimbabwe Gladys Kokorwe are among those hoping to re-launch their political careers come 2015.
Sources have revealed that some regions within the BDP are already intending to influence President Ian Khama’s decision on whom to choose for his vice president.
For now Khama’s name is the only one most constituencies have picked as the party president as the party prepares for special congress and national council in April. The vice president’s post falls vacant in October when the incumbent Dr Ponatshego Kedikilwe retires after the general elections. So BDP regions are busy debating and canvassing support for their preferred candidates for the second most powerful post in the land.
Some of the names cropping up are that of the minister for Minerals, Energy and Water Resources Kitso Mokaila, minister of Transport and Communications Nonofo Molefhi, former High Court Judge Unity Dow and the minister of Presidential Affairs and Public Administration Mokgweetsi Masisi. Confident that Dow will emerge victorious in the Kgatleng East constituency, South East region is said to be profiling Dow for the President to consider her. However, Nkate’s name is on others’ lips. Mmegi leant that he will be coming home soon after elections, upon which arrival he will start his campaign for the party presidency for 2019.
Kokorwe on the other hand is lobbying for the position of the Speaker of the National Assembly. Kokorwe was founding minister for youth, sport and culture, and later deputy speaker before she was deployed to Zimbabwe in 2010.
At the national BDP council, one of the issues that might be raised is the postponement of the BDP national youth wing executive committee (NYEC) that is supposed to be held in May.
Some BDP members feel that the NYEC elective congress might bring more disputes among youth and they are lobbying that the party should consider either postponing it to 2015 or yet another compromise model.
The current NYEC chairperson Andy Boatile said he is aware that some people are lobbying for the postpoment of their elective congress.
“Of course some had approached me about the issue but I told them that I cannot raise it since I am one of the interested parties. It will be up to the national council to decide on the matter if people raise it,” he said. For his part, Mokaila said he was not aware that some people are lobbying him for vice-presidency.
“There is nothing wrong with people lobbying for me to be vice-president but I have never told them that I want the position,” he said.
Kokorwe and Nkate could not be reached for comment as their phones rang un-answered.
Mobile phones belonging to Molefhi and Dow were also off at press time.