New party eats into BMD base
Onalenna Kelebeile | Tuesday November 7, 2017 16:15
Save for Mathathane ward that is believed to be loyal to BMD, a significant number is said to have defected to the new party while disgruntled members have chosen to quit active politics. Part of BOMASE region was divided between Ndaba/Mmolotsi and Modubule/Mangole faction ahead of the violent Bobonong congress.
While those who remained loyal to Ndaba are now AP members, those who remained with the BMD believe that the party is even stronger and ready to go for elections. The former BMD BOMASE region chairperson, Joseph Dintwa who has since crossed the floor to AP, said they have changed all structures from BMD to AP and all delegates who went to the Bobonong congress are the very delegates who represented the region at the AP launch.
He said they are now planning to revive structures and elect branch committees ahead of Bobirwa constituency launch whose date is yet to be announced. He said BMD was never launched in Bobirwa, except in Mathathane ward, and it will now be launched under AP.
Dintwa added that there was no need for them to tender resignation letters to the BMD because it was not just an ordinary resignation from the party, but factional differences and they wanted the motherbody, UDC, to intervene and recommend a congress re-run.
“We decided to establish a new party as per the regions’ recommendations. Hence, it is unnecessary to tender resignation letters,” he said.
He stressed that the AP has significant membership in BOMASE and that almost all structures are active.
“There has been no notification that we have any members remaining at the BMD after the Bobonong congress. Of course others are confused, hence we need to mobilise and sensitise them because they may have lacked information,” he said.
Dintwa said his committee still holds the positions they held at BMD.
“We held a convention before the AP launch that endorsed our committees, and structures are also as they were. I do not believe that we still have BMD members here because all structures have already surrendered their BMD membership cards to attain new AP membership ones” he said.
He added that even individual members are continuing to stream in, to surrender their BMD membership cards and they will soon have their new cards printed and issued out to them, while some did membership during the launch.
However, a member of the BMD in the region who preferred anonymity dismissed this and said BMD is strong and now a fierce and recharged political side.
“The AP existence has not affected BMD in anyway. We are now reviving and rebuilding committees and structures. We have been observing the situation because we felt that some may be confused and go with the purple movement, but we have realised that no threat has been posed to us. They have ignited a spirit of battle in the BMD,” he said.
He added that BMD is ready for the general elections and maintained that Dintwa was not the regional chairperson as a regional committee that was elected in Sefhophe ahead of Bobonong congress, never elected him.