Rakgare supports Lucas for BCP Vice Presidency
Pini Bothoko | Friday April 24, 2015 16:19
The position of the vice president became vacant after the incumbent Batisani Maswibilili declared that he would not defend his position.
Rakgare confirmed his support in an interview with Mmegi on Thursday, ahead of the BCP Youth League Elective Conference that will be held on Saturday at Selepa Junior Secondary School.
Rakgare will be battling out for the position of the youth league president with Tshegofatso Raditlhokwa.
Rakgare said that Lucas is a hard worker who selflessly worked for the party during the campaign for the 2014 general elections and is the right candidate to deputise party president Dumelang Saleshando.
“While candidates were campaigning in their constituencies last year, Lucas availed himself and toured the country campaigning for the party,” he said.
Rakgare said that this reflects the commitment, hard work and passion he has for the party and its growth, thus making him the right person to become the next vice president.
He added regardless of his numerous losses in the Bobonong constituency, Lucas is still a flexible person who can easily mobilise and attract new members.
“With this position Lucas can help the party a lot, he can unify party members because he is somebody who is easily approachable and can reach everyone irregardless of their position or status,” he said.
Rakgare also said that this has been reflected by the growing support that he continues to get in his constituency over the years regardless of losing.
He said that for this reasons he will encourage other party members to support Lucas but his words should not be construed to mean that he has anything against Gobotswang.
Although some party fans feel that Lucas failed as the BCP’s chief propagandist, Rakgare said that he (Lucas) could not be blamed or identified as failure because the loss belongs to the party and not individuals.
“It was the responsibility of the women’s league, youth league as well as party leadership to perform well during the elections and not Lucas alone. He therefore he cannot be termed as a failure,” he said.
While Rakgare has declared his support for Lucas over Gobotswang, the two are keeping their cards close to their chest on whether they would contest for the vice presidency or not.
They said that they would reveal their intentions as time goes on.
Meanwhile, during a BCP rally that was held at Francistown taxi rank on Wednesday Rakgare, former youth league president, Lotty Manyepetsa and other party youth publicly announced that they are against BCP to cooperate with Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) to topple the ruling party.
They said that as much as they want change by toppling out the ruling party, they are not in the position to cooperate with UDC who labelled their leadership as crooks.
Rakgare said that the UDC is just a party sent to disturb them in their quest to wrestle power from the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP). He said that last year before the elections, the UDC went to some areas in Botswana and maligned them, claiming that BCP has joined UDC, and that voters should vote for UDC.
“We do not want to be associated with crooks like them. I will continue to refuse this opposition cooperation until I die if they do not change their hostility towards BCP.
The UDC should stop tarnishing our leadership and party if they want us to cooperate with them,” he said.
Manyepetsaa echoed Rakgari’s sentiment, saying BCP is not for sale, and is a brand that can win elections on its own.
He brandished the UDC as dishonest but said whoever wanted to join UDC, was free to do so. “I do not beg for votes and do not want to be associated with crooks in the UDC leadership,” he said.