BDP calls Mabaila for hearing
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Friday August 31, 2018 12:39
Mabaila was slapped with two months’ suspension for a series of offences.
The vice chairperson of the National Disciplinary Committee (NDC), Yame Kebabonye wrote to Mabaila informing him of the disciplinary hearing. “We invite you to, within 14 days of receipt of this notice, furnish us with your written statement of defence. The statement must be furnished to us through the party secretariat, at Tsholetsa House and kindly serve the complainant,” Kebabonye said.
Recently, President Mokgweetsi Masisi suspended the soft-spoken Mabaila for committing offences against the rules and regulations and General Code of Conduct of the ruling party.
Some of the offences listed include behaving in a grossly disorderly and unruly manner that might put the party’s name into disrepute contrary to General Code of Conduct number 11 and sowing seeds of discord in the party, using regionalism, tribalism or factionalism contrary to General Code of Conduct number 6.
Another offence is contemptuous behaviour towards the BDP leadership and other members contrary to General Code of Conduct number 7. “As a party member, you were obliged to abide by the constitution, rules and regulations of the party, and are expected to promote the philosophy, policies and programmes as stated particularly in Article 14 sub-section 1 and 2 thereof.
In looked like contradiction between the President’s letter and the one written by the Mogoditshane branch secretary regarding the date and the year. Masisi’s letter to the complaint from the branch was written in August 2017 while the one attached for the disciplinary hearing was written in August 02, 2018. In his letter to the party leadership, the branch secretary Ikanyeng Tshiamo said Mabaila was promoting factionalism in Mogoditshane.
“He does not regard or respect the existing branch committee and only uses the chairperson and the branch treasurer to push his own agendas, address public BDP meetings without involvement of the branch committee as a whole.
“He has actually established a faction, which is mostly made of his primary election campaign team.
This is against Article 8 and 9 of the general code of conduct.
As if this was not enough, Mabaila posted on the Mogoditshane WhatsApp group that former president, Ian Khama would visit Mogoditshane on August 10 and would meet with democrat veterans,” Tshiamo wrote.
Tshiamo said this was done without proper consultation with relevant structures like the regional committee or the branch.
It continued: “He does not hide the fact that he is against our President Masisi as he has publicly declared that he has so much (more) respect for Khama as he has mentored him and made him what he is and (as) so his loyalty does lie with him”.