Merafhe asks for forgiveness from DK

EPHRAIM KEORENG
Staff Writer | Tuesday August 17, 2010 00:00

 

'I conclude by embracing and extending the hand of peace, unity and forgiveness to all democrats, including my party chairman DK Kwelagobe,' said Merafhe.

The two veteran politicians are known enemies who have fought for a long time from the two BDP factions. Merafhe, an A-Team leader and Kwelagobe leading the Barata-Phathi, some of whom have left the BDP to form Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD).

The party split has rocked the BDP, and at one time there was talk that chairman Kwelagobe and some ministers would also bolt to the newly formed BMD.

'Please tell Batswana that we had a successful retreat. Everyone was happy and there was reconciliation. Recognising the negative impact factions have had on the unity of the party, there was consensus in denouncing the factions,' said BDP secretary general Thato Kwerepe.

Kwerepe who addressed a press conference after the BDP retreat on Saturday night said the meeting presented a real opportunity for change.

'This forum did not provide time and opportunity for the usual recriminations, finger-pointing, posturing and political bashing of colleagues...all party members were asked to pull in one direction and rally behind our president,' he said.

In his speech at the retreat, party president Ian Khama said some people are benefiting from factions, 'what they benefit I don't know, by continuing to keep them alive to the point of institutionalising them, we are actually destroying our party. The party elective committees in particular, the central committee positions, polarised us. The campaign for these positions was vicious to say the least and there was a lot of misinformation,' he said.

He also said the party went for the general elections a divided party, decampaigning each other, 'even supporting the opposition in some cases. This information was brought forward by fellow democrats during the elections and post election review by the party, which confirmed these views. We cannot afford to have Judases amongst us. Here we need your input on how to contain them,' he said.