BDP Youth Threaten Court Action
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Monday November 19, 2018 13:29
The BDP central committee last Wednesday endorsed a motion by National Youth Executive Committee (NYEC) to postpone youth congress to 2020. The Monitor has learnt that the concerned youth have already engaged their attorney to work on the papers. According to a source, the BDP will be served this week.
“Some youth are unhappy with this decision and they felt that congress could be postponed for months not years like what happened during 2014. NYEC does not have power to postpone congress, only youth congress does. Youth branches should have been involved in this kind of issues,” another source said.
A letter written to BDP leadership says one of the reasons that led to the postponement of their congress is failure to secure resources for preparations of the congress. The letter dated November 1, 2018 addressed to the party secretary general Mpho Balopi reads; “The party calendar for next year will be congested with the National Council, Women’s Wing congress, the Special congress and National congress. It will be difficult to secure resources for preparations of our congress given that we more or less rely on the same donors for funding party activities”.
NYEC secretary general, Ronald Kgathi said there is need for the party structures to focus on preparations for the general elections and to ensure that the party wins resounding popular vote to retain state power.
“NYEC also resolved at this meeting to amend the youth wing regulations which are outdated and contradictory to the party constitution. This needs time and expertise, the intention is to table the new regulations for approval at the next youth congress. The postponement will therefore allow the committee to work on the new regulations,” the letter reads.
NYEC deputy chairperson, Vuyo Yane has revealed that, “Our committee has not been functional and we were failing to meet. It’s shocking that October 30, 2018 agenda was about postponement of youth congress. This is unconstitutional and we are not sending good message to youth. The committee had survived by co-opting members after some were suspended, others resigning. We do not have any project that we are doing as a committee”. Yane said he suspects some party leadership might be behind the issue since some are secretly lobbying for national congress postponement.
He said this shows that party does not have confidence in their youth and it might affect BDP in 2019.