Khama intervenes in BDP F/town wars
Chakalisa Dube | Tuesday March 21, 2017 18:00
The duo is in the race for the coveted position of party chairmanship.
For sometime now, there has been no peace between the Masisi and Molefhi camps ahead of the party’s July elective congress.
Khama has appointed a task team to investigate complaints surrounding the recent controversy-ridden BDP Francistown region elective congress won by the pro-Molefhi axis.
The task team will be led by former Cabinet minister Gaotlhaetse Matlhabaphiri, who will be accompanied by Kgalagadi South Member of Parliament (MP), Frans van der Westhuizen and the party executive secretary, Merapelo Moloise. The ruling party deputy secretary general, Shaw Kgathi wrote a letter late last week on behalf of Khama indicating that the party will investigate complaints surrounding the congress.
The letter, which Mmegi is in possession of, is addressed to the Francistown region secretary Douglas Letsholathebe. It requests the regional committee to assist the task team to carry out the exercise. Khama will have to act with a lot of caution because any decision could leave the warring BDP factions further polarised. The task team is expected to begin its work some time this week and submit its findings to Khama by March 27.
It will establish the circumstances pertaining to the alleged violence at the recently held Francistown region congress elections on March 11, 2017 at the Donga Junior Secondary School.
The letter also indicates that the task team would investigate and establish facts regarding the process and procedure in which the elections were conducted in compliance with the party constitution.
Yesterday, Kgathi confirmed the letter appointing a task team to investigate the congress. “Some party members have lodged formal complaints regarding certain events surrounding the congress. That is why a task team has been appointed to carry out the investigations,” he said. Letsholathebe told Mmegi that he is not aware of the letter.
Newly-elected Francistown region chairperson, Baemedi Medupi said Monday he has not seen the letter, but has only heard about it.
“As the region we have not received any formal complaint regarding the recent congress. I have only heard rumours that some members have complained about issues surrounding the elections to the party executive. I do not know why they have taken that route,” wondered Medupe.
He said that procedure is that the complaints should have gone through the region. “If the regional committee feels that it is conflicted it will pass the complaints to the party secretariat,” he said. At the congress held more than a week ago, there were complaints that some delegates were not properly sanctioned to take part.
Fellow democrats reportedly assaulted one of them, Otto Masogo. He was one of those who questioned the eligibility of some of those who attended the congress. Masogo has since reported the matter to the police and the party.