BCP councillor resigns from the party

ONALENNA MODIKWA
Staff Writer | Wednesday December 15, 2010 00:00

Mashaba who has been the party's chief whip states in the letter that; 'I wish to put on record that BCP has lost direction and has become a family entity and it is no longer a people's organisation.  It is a conspicuous fact that the leadership of BCP is only reserved for a few people anointed by a particular family.'

Councillor Mashaba also cited continued lack of democracy within the party and the perennial cheap talk, jealousy and infighting as factors that forced him to tender his resignation letter.  He also thanked the party and his supporters for the many years that he has worked with them.  'I believe the BCP will learn a lot from my departure and will be able to reassess itself.  I, however, wish to put on record that I will continue to represent my electorates diligently to the best of my ability,' he states in a letter that he addressed to the party Publicity Secretary, Taolo Lucas.

During an interview, Mashaba said he remains an active politician though he has not yet decided on the party to join.  BCP's Selebi-Phikwe East branch chairman, Joseph Molambane, confirmed to Mmegi that they received councillor Mashaba's resignation letter and have since arranged an in-house meeting with the electorate to inform them about the councillor's move.  'There is nothing we can do because it is his decision.  He has not been taking our calls.'  Molambane suspects that Councillor Mashaba may have been angered by the fact that party members have shown their dissatisfaction with Mashaba over his continued absence from the ward.  Reports are that he was recently summoned to a private meeting by party president, Dumelang Saleshando, over his alleged continued absence.  Party Publicity Secretary, Lucas, confirmed receiving the letter from Mashaba.  'We are not happy to lose any member of the party, but if he decides to try his luck elsewhere we cannot stop him.'  He said the councillor's resignation did not come as a surprise because there had been a lack of cooperation with the party leadership from his (Mashaba) part and the councillor has the right to disassociate himself from the party.  He encouraged party members in the Selebi-Phikwe East constituency to continue working hard.  'It was active party members on the ground who ensured that we win and retain that ward and we will continue to do so.' 

Mashaba won the ward from the ruling Botswana Democratic Party during the 2004 general elections and retained it during the 2009 elections with an increased margin of 165 from 51.  He beat ruling party candidate Margaret Podiephatshwa by 538 votes to her 373 votes.  Botswana National Front garnered a mere 70 votes.  His resignation from the party comes at a time when the BCP and the ruling party tally in numbers, each with seven contested seats in council.  With this new development, the BCP is one councillor down, which may be an advantage to the ruling party.

The BNF has also experienced a sudden resignation, albeit verbally from activist, Dimpho Moruti, who is also in the middle of deciding on his next move.  Moruti said in an interview that the current BNF is different from the one he joined 30 years ago.