BPP to expel Kuchwe, cautioned Gudu
Chakalisa Dube | Friday March 23, 2018 21:48
A panel appointed by BPP to carry out a hearing against Richard Gudu and Kuchwe has recommended that the party should expel the latter.
The duo appeared before a disciplinary hearing that was chaired by Gosaitse Mangise late last week.
Kuchwe’s fate is now in the hands of the party central committee. Only the supreme party leadership has the powers to reverse decisions of the disciplinary panel.
On the other hand, Mmegi has established that the disciplinary committee (DC) has recommended that Gudu should only be warned and be fully reinstated in the party.
Last week’s hearing was in relation to the duo’s decision to attend a meeting and press conference organised by the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) held November 9 last year.
Then, the party had taken a deliberate decision not to participate in all UDC activities citing various reasons.
“Kuchwe’s case was worsened by the fact that he was part of a meeting that endorsed a decision not to attend UDC activities,” an insider said yesterday.
Insiders also alleged that Kuchwe bullied the DC, which is why a heavy sentence has been recommended for him.
The party executive committee will reportedly meet after the Easter Holidays to decide on the recommendations of the disciplinary panel.
Interestingly, this is not the first time that Gudu and Kuchwe have been subjected to a hearing (regarding the current case). A disciplinary panel led by prominent BPP activist, Michael Mozola early this year recommended that Gudu and Kuchwe should be fully reinstated.
However, the party reportedly quashed the recommendations. The party accused the initial DC panel of being biased towards Gudu and Kuchwe.
Should the move to sack Kuchwe come to fruition it may further divide and weaken the BPP, which has shown lack of vigour for decades.
There are those within the BPP who believe that the party executive committee’s actions against Gudu and Kuchwe are driven by malice and political expediency.
The two men have often differed with the central committee in relation to how certain affairs of the party should be ran.
BPP secretary general, Venter Galetshabiwe confirmed that the party central committee has received recommendations from a panel that conducted a disciplinary hearing involving Gudu and Kuchwe.
“We will meet and decide on the recommendations of the disciplinary panel in three weeks’ time,” Galetshabiwe said yesterday.
Gudu confirmed that he attended the party hearing recently. “I am still waiting for the outcome of the hearing,” he said. Kuchwe denied that he bullied the panel.
“All I wanted was to know why we are appearing for a hearing for the second time. Maybe by doing that those who conducted the initial hearing felt I bullied them.”
He also said that he too was still awaiting the outcome of the hearing.