BCP renegades charged
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Thursday August 20, 2015 18:00
The Botswana Congress Party (BCP) has slapped suspended members, Lotty Seikese Manyapetsa and Virginia Masole with five charges of indiscipline.
The charges include allegation of recruitment of BCP members to Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), holding secretive meetings with BDP secretary general Botsalo Ntuane and assistant minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Botlogile Tshireletso at Cumberland hotel in Lobatse, another meeting at Motor Centre, holding an unlawful press conference and labelling as liars, BCP executive committee.
However there is no charge regarding money, that the members were allegedly bribed by the top BDP leaders. Manyapetsa and Masole were suspended together with former BCP youth league secretary general, Thato Osupile and Oganne Mazwigwila who have since defected to the BDP.
Yesterday Manyapetsa confirmed receipt of his charge sheet.
“I will appear before a disciplinary hearing on 29 August. They allege that I had meetings with some of the BDP leadership, recruited some BCP members to BDP and some of them were welcomed at Phitshane/Mabule during the BDP rally. The charge sheet also says I had recruited some BDP members while at Motor Centre but it doesn’t state the dates, it only states the names of people whom they said I have recruited,” said Manyapetsa.
He is also charged with addressing an unlawful press conference held at Cresta President Hotel a few weeks ago and some words they are said to have uttered during the said press conference. Manyapetsa said the hearing would be held at the BCP head office.
The BCP spokesperson Dithapelo Keorapetse has also confirmed the charges. “Unfortunately we are unable to divulge anything more than to confirm there is a process underway. I have to respect that process and the comrades facing disciplinary action. We shall communicate accordingly after that process has been exhausted,” said Keorapetse.
Efforts to get a comment from Masole were unsuccessful as her mobile phone was off air yesterday.