Pilane fights for BMD membership from Mochudi
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Tuesday October 6, 2015 12:02
After being rejected last month by Gaborone North constituency Pilane has re-applied, albeit to Mochudi West constituency, which incidentally is his homeground. Pilane is former chairperson of the BMD. “It is true Pilane has applied for his membership through our constituency.
He applied two weeks back and we have sat down as a branch committee and approved it. We are waiting for South East region to respond to our letter which we wrote to them to present our case,” Mochudi West spokesperson Titus Kebuileng said.
He said their committee took three days to decide on the matter after they heard Pilane’s story and why Gaborone North constituency rejected him. Kebuileng said before they took the decision to approve Pilane’s application, they asked for all letters and a report used by the Gaborone North constituency. “
It was not an easy decision, but we felt that their reasons were not enough to deny someone membership. Again we interviewed him on the reasons why he wants to come back to the party and what he is willing to do for the movement. He has already paid P1,000 for membership renewal,” he said.
However, Kebuileng claimed they do not know that BMD National Executive Committee (NEC) is yet to decide on Pilane’s fate. He said the only information they got was that Pilane was rejected by the Gaborone branch committee. Surprisingly BMD secretary general Gilbert Mangole, who is also MP for that constituency confirmed to this publication recently that Pilane’s issue is still before NEC which is yet to decide on it.
Mangole has lately been fingered by some party members as one of the party elders lobbying Pilane to come back to the party. Mmegi has learnt that Pilane is likely to challenge BMD president Ndaba Gaolathe in the coming party congress, something other members feel would bring instability into the party. A source within the party said some BMD members have threatened to quit the party if NEC accepts Pilane.
This is how Pilane responded to our enquiry: “A little over two weeks ago, it came to my attention that the Gaborone North Committee was no committee, for only two or three of them were members of the BMD. All except the two or three had never applied for the membership of and had never been given the membership of the BMD.”
He added that the two or three who were members were not members in good standing as their memberships had long expired.
He added that only members in good standing may be elected into structures. “I realised that the decision reversing the earlier decisions were invalid because they had been made by people who were not members of the BMD and the decisions were not those of a committee of the BMD.
I had been offered membership by many constituencies, but chose Mochudi as it is home. My membership was without delay, then given to me by the Mochudi West constituency,” he wrote in response.