How Bulela Ditswe could rip Francistown South apart
Chakalisa Dube | Friday February 2, 2018 17:00
FRANCISTOWN: Remarks purportedly attributed to President Ian Khama and the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) secretary general, Mpho Balopi are set to rip the party apart.
Last Friday during a tour of the Francistown region, Balopi and Khama, very senior members of the ruling party, allegedly told some BDP members who had attended the gathering that those who are protesting the primaries’ results are not doing so in good faith. The closed-door meeting, which was led by Khama, was held at Matsiloje village community hall.
Prominent persons such as Tati-East MP Samson Moyo Guma, Francistown-West MP, Ignatius Moswaane, youth empowerment minister Thapelo Olopeng and his Cabinet colleague and BDP deputy secretary general, Shaw Kgathi were amongst the dignitaries who attended the meeting.
They (Khama and Balopi) reportedly implied that those who are challenging the primary election results do so because of their lust for power and political greed. This meeting would later degenerate into a bashing for the primary election losers, especially those who protested the results unaware that their political bile was rubbing some people the wrong way.
The remarks reportedly did not sit well with some members of the ruling party who recently participated in the primary elections including their backers. The remarks could definitely fuel tensions in a party that is already gripped by fallouts from the controversy-prone Bulela Ditswe primaries.
The gusto with which some disgruntled people have chosen to leak the proceedings of an internal meeting, tells a story that Khama and Balopi could have sown seeds of discord unintentionally.
To the utter dismay and shock of some party diehards, Khama, the party president and chief campaigner, unequivocally endorsed Modiri Lucas and encouraged Francistown South constituents to help him canvass for the party support ahead of the 2019 general elections.
By Khama’s utterances, it means Lucas was the first to be officially endorsed by the party president as the party candidate whilst there are protests to be dealt with.
Post Bulela Ditswe primaries; the BDP is purely gripped by factionalism as party diehards have started to identify themselves along the Vice President Mokgweetsi Masisi and infrastructure minister Nonofo Molefhi formations, which were at their highest level during the July party elective congress in Tonota.
“Their statements were not appropriate. It appears as if they have already preempted the outcome of protests that were recently launched by those who have lost the primaries. What they were communicating was that the protests would be taken lightly and due process will not be followed when handling them,” an insider who was part of the Friday meeting told Mmegi on condition of anonymity.
Added another insider: “At the meeting, Balopi made assurances that all the grievances relating to the primaries would be effectively dealt with, but he cannot be relied upon following his initial remarks”.
In the worst case scenario, some BDP diehards have indicated that Balopi’s remarks are likely to lead to a mass exodus of party activists just out of frustration.
“We are in a season of the primaries, and as some members have lost the elections, they are likely to quit the party because they are under the impression that their concerns would not be dealt with effectively should they launch protests,” another party insider quipped.
A host of party members in the Francistown South constituency as well as elsewhere, have already launched protests to the party secretariat, ironically headed by Balopi.
A frustrated Moagi Monyatsi, who was a council candidate at the recent primaries, reportedly ditched the party because he was of the view that the primaries were marred by irregularities. He contested and lost the primaries at Somerset East.
Although Monyatsi could not be reached for comment this week, a high-ranking BDP official has confirmed his departure from the ruling party.
“I can confirm that Monyatsi has submitted his resignation (letter) to the party whose contents I cannot share with external stakeholders. I received the letter early this week. We are however talking to him to try and persuade him to return to the party,” BDP Francistown region chairperson, Baemedi Medupi said.
The ruling party has so far officially received five protests from candidates who contested the primary elections in the Francistown South constituency.
Those protesting the elections have pointed out a litany of irregularities. The aftermath of the BDP primaries is often characterised by members who quit the party to contest as independent candidates commonly known as mekoko.
There are strong indications that some BDP members in Francistown South are toying with the idea of quitting the party as a result of the disputed primaries., Medupi refused to respond to questions fielded by Mmegi relating to remarks allegedly made by Khama and Balopi.
“Details of all internal party meetings cannot be divulged to the media because they are sensitive by nature,” Medupi emphasised.
Balopi could not be reached for comment either for the better part of yesterday as he did not answer his phone. The BDP’s chairperson for communications and international relations sub committee, Thapelo Pabalinga said that he was constrained to comment on statements that were reportedly made at the weekend meeting.
Some party veterans watched in shock and disbelief as events unfolded inside the Matsiloje community hall, the venue of the Francistown region meeting. Balopi supposedly paraded and called Lucas, the Francistown South parliamentary candidate who has won the disputed elections, the winner even before protests are heard.
Breaking party protocol, Balopi reportedly presented Lucas to the meeting as a symbol of youth’s capability, saying that if he could stand for the party primaries and win, therefore other youth stand a good chance of doing the same.
Balopi could have messed up things when he allegedly told the Friday meeting that as for those who protested, there was a plan that they will be advised accordingly to put the party first and abandon their protests.
He also reportedly emphasised a need to counsel those who have lost the primaries so that they can accept the results without necessarily pursuing their protests any further.