Unceremonious Ending To BCPYL Elective Congress
Chakalisa Dube | Monday April 30, 2018 13:38
Madigele was to contest the presidency of the youth league against incumbent, Tebogo Molefhe. His lobby group, and that of Molefhe were to fight for other youth league leadership positions at the congress. Members of Madigele’s lobby group reportedly withdrew, just towards the elections on Saturday night because they felt that the elections could not go on, as constituencies that had attended did not form a quorum.
Twenty-two out of the party’s 57 constituencies turned up for the congress. Madigele’s team argued that for elections to take place, 29 constituencies should be present. His lobby group also reportedly did not want the congress to take place, citing some legality in addition to the quorum.
On the one hand, just before the withdrawal Molefhe’s group held the view that their opponents were working tirelessly to sabotage the elections allegedly because they knew that they were going to be defeated. The Madigele lobby group seemed to relent when it was decided that a vote will be held to determine whether the congress should go ahead or not. The election ended in a tie whereupon another election was held and it ended in favour of Molefhe’s lobby group, which wanted the elections to go on. The vote was a green light for the elections to proceed. But despite that, members of Madigele’s lobby group still maintained their original position that elections should not take place because the congress did not form a quorum. “Following much debate with their opponents, they decided to withdraw from contesting the elections,” said one BCP official who did not want to be named because he is not authorised to talk to the media. On the other hand, those supporting Molefhe and her team argued that the elections should go on as the 22 constituencies that attended the congress had sanctioned them.
BCP’s Mmadinare Selebi-Phikwe and Bobirwa (MASEBO) region chairperson, Sennye Obuseng and other party regional leaders are said to have intervened as exchanges between the two warring groups were becoming more heated.
Obuseng was not available for comment despite repeated attempts to reach him. The spokesperson for Madigele’s lobby group, Akanyang Letsweletse was also not available for comment.
The officials from MASEBO region were given the task of coordinating the congress elections. The officials reportedly had a lengthy meeting with representatives from the two lobby groups. According to insiders, they advised that the elections be called off and senior party executives be roped in to resolve the matter and to provide guidance going forward.
Obuseng reportedly opined that holding the elections under those circumstances when differences had become so acrimonious could damage the party’s reputation.
When contacted, Molefhe said yesterday that she was unable to comment on activities surrounding the aborted congress as she was travelling. Letsweletse and Madigele merged their lobby groups ahead of the elections. Prior to that, Letsweletse was to challenge for the presidency of the youth league, but instead decided to join forces with Madigele.