Broke BCP seek help from members
Bonte Seepi | Tuesday October 20, 2015 15:12
Addressing Letswapo region members recently in Palapye, the party secretary general, Kentse Rammidi called for members to rescue the party.
Rammidi said the current contributions are not enough to sustain the party or even run the party head office in Gaborone.
He said: “The party is experiencing financial crisis, to an extent that we are unable to pay those running the office. If it wasn’t for their passion and love for the party, they could have quit, even when our leaders go for meetings, like I am here today we transport ourselves. ”
He urged members to help with contributions for the BCP well-being. He called on members to become active and rescue the party.
“Let’s all stand up and do something. Just like a church, a political party cannot be run without money,” he added.
Rammidi said the party would send stop order forms to different regions to enable members to pay something into the party.
It was evident that the party’s pocket is running dry as BCP members that were present at the meeting had to dig deep into their pockets to assist Rammidi on his return trip.
The general secretary also complained about indiscipline among some members of the BCP especially on social media like Facebook. He stated that some party members exchange bitter words on Facebook and even insult others.
“Some things that members of our party post on social media are unspeakable. One cannot even believe how some members can attack the party president. We should not insult each other on Facebook, our party has been known to be one of those with high discipline.
“Those people are volunteers, so even if they can make decisions that you do not like you should not insult them,” he said.
He said it was so embarrassing that even some party leaders were involved in such acts. He therefore called for regions to form disciplinary committees before the situation gets out of hand.
He also pleaded with party members to use Facebook to protect the party rather than to destroy it. When responding to Rammidi’s message, members of Letswapo region agreed with him that there was a lot of indiscipline among party members.
BCP councillor for Mokobeng, Joseph Molamu, also complained that there are some party members who roam around other districts with the aim of destroying the party name. He said a few weeks ago they experienced this in his area, when one man spent three days at Mokobeng displaying unacceptable behaviour.
“These things are real and I suspect that some of these people have been bought. One strange man came at Mokobeng and spent some days there buying a lot of alcohol, he seemed to have a lot of money and he came to my area with an intention of destroying the BCP. Surprisingly, we later found out that he is a well known BCP member,” he said.
“He urged other members not to vote for Dr Kesitegile Gobotswang but rather Dorcas Makgatho, saying Gobotswang is irresponsible. He also said that BCP should not get into talks with Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) as he said he doesn’t trust Duma Boko,” said Molamu.
Some members opted for serious action to be taken against the undisciplined members.
Shine Namane from Gootau, accused the so-called Ditimamelelo for the said indiscipline within the party. He suggested that all members of the party who exhibited any form of indiscipline be suspended, even those who hold high positions in the party.
However Basuti Setlogelwa from Maunatlala is against suspension of undisciplined members but rather felt they should be shown the door.
“We should not condone indiscipline in the party because that can destroy our image, so all the perpetrators must be fired from the party.
There are other parties besides BCP, so they will join other parties and we shall recruit new members,” he said.