BMD Mogoditshane Looks To Football Personalities
Innocent Selatlhwa | Monday February 5, 2018 11:59
Mamelodi is former FIFA development officer for Eastern and Southern Africa while Radira is former Township Rollers player and Public Relations Officer amongst other accolades.
The duo is currently not with any political party. Mamelodi has, however, denied having been approached by the party and stated that he has no links with the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC). He also said he currently does not have any ambitions to stand for political office. Radira confirmed shunning the party.
“I have been approached by different political parties and BMD is one of them. I turned down their offer as I have no interest in contesting for political office,” he said.
BMD National Organising Secretary, Freddie Ramodise confirmed that they had approached Mamelodi and Radira.
“Our members on the ground suggested the names and we asked them to go ahead and speak to them. We, however, cannot say much now as we are yet to issue the writ of elections,” he said.
While UDC president Duma Boko had pronounced that as the coalition they would look beyond a party allocated any constituency to find a suitable candidate, the BMD maintained that none of their partner parties would be allocated their constituency.
BMD president, Sidney Pilane said they agreed to be given 14 constituencies, as they knew they had resources and capable people whom they will field in the constituencies. He said they could only exchange constituencies and promised they would have strong candidates everywhere.
Even though it seems they are struggling to find a candidate in Mogoditshane, their UDC partner Botswana Congress Party’s (BCP) Tumiso Rakgare, who came second to current legislator, Sedirwa Kgoroba, seems to be a favourite to many in the UDC. Kgoroba has since quit the BMD for its offspring, Alliance for Progressives (AP).
BCP and Botswana National Front (BNF) members are said to be in cohorts to see the constituency given to Rakgare. “There have been UDC member meetings held in Mogoditshane where BMD members are never in attendance. The party is as good as dead after the formation of AP. Even before then, BMD was never stronger than BCP or BNF,’ a source said.
Ramodise said they as the BMD are aware of antics by the BNF and BCP to wrestle constituencies from them. “We have since called on the leadership to report the issue to UDC leadership.
We never do this to them, they should call the party leadership if they claim they do not see our members on the ground and we will convene a meeting,” he said. Ramodise said they have in the past asked the partner parties to help with candidates where they could not field and could still do the same if the parties followed the right procedure. He said they have not given up on finding a suitable candidate.