BDP wars erupt in F/town South

RYDER GABATHUSE
Staff Writer | Wednesday April 21, 2010 00:00

 

The incident, which occurred last Friday, led to police intervention.Reports indicate that the conflict started when Maoto's team was making announcements around the constituency for a last Saturday party meeting at Goldmine Junior Secondary School.

The gathering was also supposed to address latest developments in the party specifically, 'the absence of the MP from the area and his reported membership of a new party amongst others.'

Mmolotsi's team on the other hand was also doing the rounds calling for a ward meeting.

When the two teams met they reportedly became abusive towards each other using 'foul language', with one member of Maoto's team preventing their opponents from overtaking them by driving haphazardly on the road.

When quizzed on the matter Maoto accused Mmolotsi's group of disrupting a party meeting. He however said they eventually managed to convene at the end of the day,  as they had to address the absence of the area MP Mmolotsi and some three councillors, namely Mayor Shadreck Nyeku, Stephen Michael and Biki Mbulawa.

'We have noted that the party structures have been paralysed by the absence of these politicians as they have indicated that they have moved to form a new party,' said Maoto.

Maoto further accused Mmolotsi and some of the Barata-Phathi councillors of dedicating their energies elsewhere.

'Mmolotsi and his Barata-Phathi colleagues have been holding clandestine meetings here trying to recruit people to their side and in the process disparaging President Ian Khama,' alleges Maoto.

Maoto added that because of the disruptions by the Barata-Phathi activists, his group had to report the matter to the police.

Maoto attributes the low attendance of 75 people at the weekend meeting to the disruption by Mmolotsi's supporters.Mmolotsi also confirmed the fracas between the two groups.

'I am aware that the same people who influenced the BDP vetting committee to vet me out of the last primaries, are at it again, causing unnecessary trouble,' said Mmolotsi referring to the losers in the 2003 primaries, Maoto and Godknows Robbie.

Mmolotsi expressed concern at the use by Maoto and supporters of the BDP secretary general's name when calling for meetings he alleged are not even sanctioned by the party.

When contacted about the development yesterday, BDP executive secretary, Dr Comma Serema pleaded ignorance on the matter although both parties have claimed that the matter has reached the party secretariat.

'I am not aware of such a case in Francistown and if you could contact the party regional leadership maybe they could be of help to you,' suggested Serema.

Officer Commanding No.15 Police District, Senior Superintendent Alakanani Makobo confirmed that two factions of the BDP had a problem that reached his office.

'The problem was between the factions of the BDP, there was confusion as to which faction should hold a meeting. I will not go into details of who reported the case here because the matter was finally resolved,' said Makobo.