Power struggle grips BDP media portfolios
Tefo Pheage | Wednesday January 20, 2016 15:51
The committee was established in recent years reportedly to help address the ‘bad publicity’ the ruling party says it receives in most media. The BDP has traditionally used the secretary general and his office as the party’s media mouthpieces.
However, supporters and sympathisers of secretary general, Botsalo Ntuane are accusing the party chairman and Vice President, Mokgweetsi Masisi of conniving with the communications and international relations committee to enhance his popularity ahead of an uncertain push for the presidency.
The committee is led by Fish Pabalinga.
Party insiders said there was growing confusion within the party over who had the responsibility to address press briefings and over what issues. They point to Masisi’s growing prominence in party press conferences and Ntuane’s apparent retreat into the shadows.
The committee recently held two press conferences where Ntuane was noticeably absent.
However, Ntuane was quick to dismiss reports of a rift within the party’s media teams.
“It’s just a coincidence that the press conferences took place when I was away,” he said, adding that, “Nothing untoward should be read into my absence. You must also remember that other functionaries can carry out party work even in my absence”.
For his part, Pabalinga said he was aware of the allegations, but said these were being driven by people eager for a collision between the committee and the secretary general.
“Look, Botsalo knows about all the meetings we have held in his absence. What people must know is that the president is the chief spokesperson of the party and he can delegate whoever he deems fit.
“That’s why you will continue to see official party communications being handled by different people,” he said.
Pabalinga said there was no plot to steal the limelight from Ntuane, but the committee was merely “doing its job”. “My committee is actually doing well. You see, when the party has some issues to attend to, like the unveiling of new members, it has to act swiftly whether Botsalo is there or not.
“But I can confirm that in all the four meetings we have held in his absence, we had communicated with him,” Pabalinga said.