Masisi denies employing underhand campaign tactics

Chakalisa Dube | Wednesday May 6, 2015 15:35

Masisi was in Francistown campaigning for the BDP chairmanship position. Yesterday an insider at the meeting said that speakers at the meeting were not handpicked at the meeting. Instead the sources alleged that a list of speakers was prepared before the meeting held at Adansonia hotel.   “It appeared that only people who were pro VP Masisi were given the chance to talk. I guess the speakers were staged in a bid to sway people into supporting the VP,” an insider at BDP said yesterday.

Another BDP insider confirmed that the meeting appeared to have been staged. “It will be much of a coincidence that all the speakers at the meeting will speak the same thing,” said the source.

But the meeting coordinator, Neo Gabalebatse rubbished the allegations that the meeting was staged.

“It is a mere lie that speakers were staged. Speakers were handpicked from the floor. It is only that the number of speakers as well as the time given to each speaker was limited.

The only list I had in my hand was only a registration list. I also had a paper on which I had drafted the programme,” said Gabalebatse, who is the vice secretary for the Francistown region.

Gabalebatse further said all that she said at the meeting was that due to time constraints those who wanted to participate in the meeting were to come upfront.

Masisi is said to have used the meeting to deny widespread speculation that he was persuaded to challenge the BDP chairmanship by businessman-cum-politician Samson Moyo Guma.

Masisi is reported to have told the gathering at the two hours meeting that he was approached by some party members to contest.

He is also reported to have said that as a BDP member Guma was at liberty to support him.  In addition Masisi reportedly said that as VP he felt he should contest for the position of party chairman. According to sources he is of the view that the position of party chairman would augment his role as the country’s second in command.

Yesterday Masisi did not want to go into detail about the meeting. “For now I do not want to discuss much about campaigns but those who are saying the meeting was staged are not telling the truth. There was nothing like that,” he said.

Masisi said that he felt that it would be best to talk extensively to the media after the elections.  “I think for now it is only fair for me to focus much on trying to convince BDP members who are the ones who will be voting at the congress. I believe it is a fair comment for now,” he said.