BMD could reach tipping point
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Friday May 5, 2017 15:03
Also as an interested party in the matter, the chairperson has already pre-empted by virtue of his position what could happen in that meeting.
The constitution states that as BMD chairperson, Nehemiah Modubule should preside over the party national congress, national policy assembly, the NEC and the national working committee (NWC).
Already, Modubule has told the press that action would be taken against members who had attended last week’s youth congress, something that had angered some of its members, while others are callling his bluff on his threat to suspend party president, Ndaba Gaolathe and his deputy Wynter Mmolotsi.
So far, the BMD is divided into two factions, one led by Modubule and secretary general, Gilbert Mangole and the other by Gaolathe and Mmolotsi. The big question that remains unanswered is, how did the BMD get to this point?
Though misunderstandings were apparent during the late Gomolemo Motswaledi’s time, tensions might have risen the moment Botsalo Ntuane defected to the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP). That led to Gaolathe being catapulted to the vice presidency.
Even though Motswaledi was a master at quelling the slightest unrest, this accelerated turn of events left some leaders of the BMD unhappy, with the concerned group arguing that the party’s constitution was not adhered to.
By then, Gaolathe was promoted from policy director to acting vice president under Motswaledi’s leadership. The concerned group in their minority felt that under normal circumstances, the party chairperson should be the one acting until the elective congress. Motswaledi knew of gripe, but did nothing to apply balm to the festering wound. This same minority tasted defeat at the NEC 2013 meeting that was held in Palapye because the majority of members were on Motswaledi’s side. Their contention then was that Gaolathe was a strategist and not a politician like his friend and leader, Motswaledi.
For a party only established in 2010 by parliamentarians and other politicians who split from the ruling BDP over differences with President Ian Khama, it was apparent internal wrangles would dog the newly formed BMD.
The Maun congress sealed the party’s fate, taking it on a course of the very divisive differences that birthed its formation when Gaolathe was voted the vice president in 2013.
A couple of years prior to that in 2011, the BMD had held its first elective congress in Gaborone. Pilane, who had been serving as the party’s public relations officer since its formation, lost his bid for BMD president to Motswaledi by a margin of 325 votes. Those who supported Pilane then, were slighted.
Ultimately, it was intolerance that forced Pilane to resign from active politics after the Gaborone congress.
Team Motswaledi won all positions and by then, the members and their leader’s main aim was to go on a massive recruitment drive for new members to build and grow the party.
With hindsight, the two congresses of 2011 and 2013 could have made BMD members realise that the party chairperson had more powers than the president, which they failed to discern.
After Motswaledi’s death, differences deepened as the party went for the Gantsi elective congress. By then Mmolotsi had not yet joined team Gaolathe, as he was in the Modubule and Mangole camp. Gaolathe was with the likes of Iphemele Kgokgothwane, Sedirwa Kgoroba, Pius Mokgware, among others.
However, team Mmolotsi/Modubule/Mangole then did not contest for the presidency, but still won a lion’s share of the posts, while team Gaolathe emerged with only a handful.
Things worsened at the NEC’s first meeting. The winning teamwas itself divided, with Pilane’s name resurfacing in the BMD corridors.
During the NEC, some members boldy mentioned the important of Pilane being accepted back in the party.
What shocked some was whether Pilane had interest in coming back or not. Mmolotsi and a few others started aligning themselves with Gaolathe. From the first meeting, NEC had never been at peace with itself to a point of failing to smoothly run the party.
Some NEC members were also complaining that the party president was not consulting with the committee and was too close to others outside committee. Its youth league tried to intervene, but failed. The division within the NEC led to some structures collapsing. While some members defected to the ruling party, others failed or neglected to pay contribution fees. These woes were compounded by failure to pay rent, bills and employee salaries.
At some point, it became crystally clear that Pilane was the one paying employee salaries and bills. When the youth league went to the Mochudi congress, the factions in the party were deeply formed. The congress took longer than expected since there violence ruled the day.
When Pilane applied for BMD membership, things became worse as the members started to turn on each other taking ,their battles to the airwaves and social media. The matter of Pilane has divided members to this day.
As the path to war became clearer, the party president and his vice were forced to tour the country addressing their members that the NEC is not functional.
It was also apparent that laid down procedures in the constitution were not followed when Pilane was accepted in the party.
Efforts by some members to call for a special congress failed as the NEC said the leadership had not followed proper channels. The postponement of the Ramotswa congress over the weekend did not come as a shock to some of the youth members given the recent events that unfolded in the party.
Only Saturday’s NEC meeting, the highest body in the movement, will choose which side wins this internal and fratricidal war, if the contenders do not smoke the peace pipe.