BPF Dismisses Crisis talk
Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Monday July 5, 2021 16:11
Following an announcement that the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) has reconstituted the BPF’s youth league committee, one of the former youth league committee members, Ogaufi Nthobelang issued a statement on the contrary.
Nthobelang, who served as the Youth League’s national organising secretary, issued an urgent public notice, essentially rebutting the party’s publicity secretary, Lawrence Ookeditse’s earlier announcement on the decision of the NEC.
According to Nthobelang, the appointment of new members of the BPF youth league is unconstitutional. “The public must know that there is currently a legitimate BPF YL Committee, which was appointed and endorsed by the Palapye Congress in 2019,” Nthobelang stated. He called on the public to disregard the announcement as it violates clause 9.2.2 of the BPF constitution.
Nthobelang said, “We will do everything to defend and protect the image and constitution of the party”.
The contradicting statements became a topical issue as they circulated on social media over the weekend. However, Ookeditse, the BPF spokesperson said what happened was a rare case of ill-discipline from one person who acted out of frustration because he did not like the NEC’s decision, which the party will correct.
According to him, the party would “consider the possible indiscipline and act as is necessary” against a member who issued a press release to the effect that there has been a reconstitution of its youth league. Ookeditse explained that there is no impasse and confusion about the issue as the NEC acted within its constitutional powers.
“The NEC had appointed some youth to be an interim structure in the exercise of its powers. That was two years ago. The interim structure has since been refreshed by the NEC in the exercise of its constitutional powers yet again. The majority of the youth forming the initial committee had left and there were now only a few active ones. There is zero confusion,” Ookeditse explained.
He said the decision to freshen up the BPF youth league committee was taken following the NEC meeting of June 28, 2021. He stated the decision was based on the youth league committee being in place for a while, but had lost some members rendering it not as effective as the party wished for it to be.
He explained that given the difficulty with hosting elective congresses under the current state of emergency and COVID-19 climate, the NEC used its powers to co-opt the youth league committee.
He said the co-opted committee would be expected to organise the youth of the party and pave the way to an elective congress when the COVID-19 situation becomes manageable.