UDC wars far from over
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Friday September 14, 2018 13:56
This stalemate has forced the Botswana National Front (BNF) Tlokweng constituency to call a meeting this week to decide on the way forward regarding two wards in which Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) has also fielded candidates.
At the centre of this dispute are the Lesunyana and Tlokweng Central council wards.
And, at the heart of the debacle is the defection of the then BMD councillors to BNF. The councillors believe they should be allowed to contest, as they are incumbent while the BMD argues that the wards were allocated to them ahead of 2014 elections.
This does not sit well with the area Member of Parliament, Masego Segokgo who told Mmegi that the party has taken long to resolve this matter.
“This is really hurting because our voters are now discouraged to register for elections in these two wards because of the confusion. We have engaged the party president, Duma Boko about it.
“Again the constituency was forced to call a meeting so that we could take a resolution regarding the matter,” Segokgo said.
He said the issue is likely to affect the party negatively if not attended to urgently because campaigns had already started.
On the hand, BMD spokesperson Wilfred Rasina said those wards are under the management of the BMD.
“That is not in dispute. The UDC executive committee meeting deemed that as appropriate and resolved as thus any arising matter. This whole thing of some individuals going around creating unnecessary chaos when they know they are misleading themselves and those they are supposed to guide, advise and lead is unfortunate.
“It is more so unfortunate that such people, whatever their agendas are, continue to create havoc, then for some reason or the other apportion it to the BMD. Is not only unnecessary, it is sadly tarnishing,” he said.
He said the BMD is calling for UDC national executive committee to meet and resolve these differences once and for all. He said it sounds more like a deliberate agenda to create chaos and apportion it to the BMD.
Rasina said they cannot be proceeding like excited teenagers when they are old enough to observe, understand and appreciate that their doings, terrible as they are, and they are not hurting individual parties but grossly hurting and wounding the UDC.
He said individual parties must call their members to order. The BMD spokesperson said the purpose of UDC is to usher an alternative government and not to be serving selfish and personal agendas of fighting for wards and constituencies.
He said there is lack of the bigger picture or possibly a comprehension of regime change through a coalition.
However, UDC spokesperson Moeti Mohwasa maintained that the UDC candidates are going to be the incumbent councillors not the ones that BMD chose.
“As UDC, we know the people we are campaigning for. The BMD is confusing itself on this matter. The wards belongs to the BNF and there is no way sitting councillors could be challenged,” Mohwasa said.