Anxiety hits BDP F/town region
Ryder Gabathuse | Tuesday April 4, 2017 16:01
They are literally on high alert after a task team led by former Cabinet minister, Gaotlhaetse GUS Matlhabaphiri wrapped up its business of inquiring on the conduct of a recent controversy-ridden Francistown region elective congress.
The inquiry has created anxiety in the rank and file of the party faithful after the pro-Nonofo Molefhi’s faction won the disputed Francistown region elective congress.
Depending on the outcome, the party leadership will also have to act with a lot of caution in its next step of action to avoid further polarising the already volatile region.
After the pro-Mokgweetsi Masisi’s faction presented its misgivings on the results of the elective congress, President Ian Khama appointed the GUS-led task team, which included Kgalagadi South MP, Frans van der Westhuizen and executive secretary, Merapelo Moloise.
They were mandated to investigate complaints surrounding Francistown region elective congress.
Attention is on Khama, who recently endorsed Vice President, Masisi as the candidate for the chairmanship of the party. Already, there is a strong feeling that Khama might try to appease his deputy in his decision, which could see the party further polarised.
Looking at the task force itself, Khama did a good job by trying hard to balance the party’s known factions. Matlhabaphiri is a known Barata Phathi factionalist unless he has decided otherwise.
Moloise is a known A-Team sympathiser. Westhuizen is apparently not yet immersed in the BDP factions like his other two colleagues.
This therefore, leaves the task team balanced and is expected to act fairly in delivering its findings without fear of bias.
It, however, raises eyebrows that BDP deputy secretary general, Shaw Kgathi was assigned to write a letter announcing President Khama’s appointed task team to start work instead of Botsalo Ntuane who is senior to Kgathi as the secretary general.
Ntuane is a known Cabinet minister Molefhi sympathisers whilst Kgathi is a pro-Masisi man. What Khama feared Ntuane as a factionalist would do, Kgathi could also do it.
At best, Khama who always emphasises on people putting the party first, should be seen to be placing the interest of the party first in the decision that he would make regarding the findings of the task team.
It was at the elective congress that the pro-Masisi axis was given a hiding before some of this group’s members lodged a complaint that they were unduly denied a chance to take part in the elective congress.
Men associated with the Francistown West MP, Ignatius Moswaane assaulted Otto Masogo, an ally of Masisi. He had raised a complaint that some delegates to the congress were not properly sanctioned.
Newly-elected Francistown region chairman, Baemedi Medupe, a former councillor for Sowa, said recently that as the region they had not received a letter of complaint from anyone in the region.
“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,” he had said frustratingly in a previous report.
This week Medupe told Mmegi that he does not see signs of divisions in the party ahead of the decision of Khama.
“Any decision will be made basing on facts and truth. The region has to be united and we are hopeful that the President will consider the region’s peace as paramount,” he said this week. He is hopeful that the source of divisions in the Francistown region will be dealt with.
Khama and his leadership are aware how they have previously failed the Francistown region, which has been volatile over decades.
Former president, Festus Mogae, former secretary general/chairman, Daniel Kwelagobe, former party chairman, Ponatshego Kedikilwe and Khama himself, have previously made efforts to put off political differences in this region without success.
Now Khama, who has less than 365 days in office before handing over the baton of power to his deputy Masisi, will have to prove his mettle in dealing with the explosive situation in Francistown.
He will be making an umpteenth time effort to solidify the party whose region has known no peace for decades now.
Khama will vacate office a frustrated man as it was during his tenure that the BDP gave birth to the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD), which was a part of the Barata Phathi faction, which ultimately morphed into a fully-fledged political party.
Like cancer, the BMD has been eating away at the BDP’s political flesh and in fact, factors have been conniving against the BDP to the extent that in the 2014, general elections, the BDP only managed a popular vote of below 50%.