DK overlooked from being a delegate
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Friday May 29, 2015 14:25
The Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) may be on a systematic warpath to snuff the political life of former BDP strongman and long time former secretary general Daniel Kwelagobe popularly known as DK in BDP circles.
In the latest assault against the former MP, the BDP’s Molepolole South constituency sidelined DK in its selection of delegates to the party’s much anticipated congress billed for Mmadinare in July.
The BDP congress is the highest decision-making forum for the party, where delegates have the opportunity to air ideas and concerns from themselves in their constituency.
“The constituency would not even consider DK’s vast experience as a politician and as a (former) member of government. If DK attends the congress he will not have the privilege to air any view.
“He would just be like an ordinary member. DK is not in any party structure and his voice was going to be heard as a delegate,” a source said.
It appears though that DK’s sidelining is only the tip of the iceberg in a growing feud between the BDP’s warrior factions in the A-team and Barata-Phathi.
“Previously Barata-Phathi with whom DK is believed to be aligned, controlled both Molepolole constituencies, but were whitewashed by the A-team in the Saturday election that was held at Lemepe Lodge,” another source said.
The Saturday election saw the A-team taking all the positions. So ugly is the variance between the A-team and Barata-phathi that the former would not agree to suggestions by the latter to hand pick delegates from each ward as a way of bridging their differences.
This resulted in representatives of Loologa and Lekgwapeng wards walking out in protest.
“While the BDP constitution stipulates voting as a method of selection, constituency may opt for a compromise method such as that suggested by the Barata-Phathi. But since the A-team were determined to completely vanquish Barata-Phathi, a compromise was out of the question,” said the source.
The election also brought into sharp relief enduring competition between DK and businessman Shima Monageng, on the one hand, and the fall out between DK and his protégé Kabo Morwaeng on the other hand.
Monageng and Morwaeng stood against DK’s camp in the elections for delegates and won.
Meanwhile DK confirmed that he would not be a delegate in the coming congress.
“I will be going there as a tourists like any other person. I am not bitter that I am not a delegate. This is democracy and I cannot force people to make me one.
“This means that I will not make any contribution or comment at the congress. Whoever planned or had an agenda that I should not be a delegate has won,” Kwelagobe said.
He said he was not even a delegate at the Saturday branch congress and some people made sure that they blocked him from talking.
“I was outside most of the time because I was not a delegate. I only talked when the branch chairman asked me to do so because I was telling the members that there is a provision that allows for selection of members as delegates in the party constitution,” he said.
DK said if indeed some wards walked out in protest, then it shows that there is a problem in the party. The trouncing of Barata-Phathi in Molepolole may not bode well for Tebelelo Seretse who is vying for the chairmanship and whom they have openly supported.
Besides having to thwart the curse of being supported by her former nemesis in the Barata-Phathi, which may bring resentment from the A-team, Seretse also has to contend with new power, a new influence in the form of the “third force” whose weight it has bandied about in the BDP.
This portentous “Third Force” is reported to have coalesced with the A-team and have closed ranks around Vice President Mokgweetsi Masisi as the party chairman.