Face-off:DK vs Khama

FREDERICK KEBADIRETSE
Staff Writer | Monday June 21, 2010 00:00

 

Kwelagobe made these admissions in his welcome remarks at the 18th National Youth Congress in Gaborone on Friday.

'Considering all these challenges facing us as a party, we have a duty to make a thorough assessment of our present position making sure that we undertake an honest and critical evaluation of our achievements, our limitations and, indeed our deficiencies and shortcomings in our party administration and management, irrespective of the embarrassments this may, at times cause us,' he said. He added that it was a very crucial time for the party and not time for alibis and excuses, obfuscations or equivocations.

He continued to say, 'Our membership, including those of our brethren who have been expelled and others who have defected of their own volition, have demonstrated in no uncertain terms that our intra-party democratic processes are not up to the desired levels and further that our capacities to cope with dissent and differences, as well as our levels of tolerance have fallen substantially below what we previously considered them to be.' DK, as Kwelagobe is popularly known, has long been associated with members of the defected Barata-Phathi faction whom he seemed to be sympathetic to in his speech.

When President Ian Khama took to the podium after Kwelagobe to give the keynote address, he was unapologetic for the disciplinary actions he has taken against some party members and stated that this was the right thing to do. Khama told the youth wing to chant the party slogans, hug and shake hands although Kwelagobe had told them to keep that aside and concentrate on tackling the challenges faced by the party.

'This historic congress cannot proceed on the assumption of 'business as usual,' and be permitted to become yet another occasion for hearty 'tsholetsas!' and the usual sloganeering, or our customary fraternal handshakes and bear-hugs, or for our repeated self-congratulatory toasts and cocktails; but must be recognised to be a vital and much needed opportunity for serious introspection and forward planning,' Kwelagobe had earlier remarked.

Kwelagobe had asked the party leadership to be tolerant and not distance itself from the people to avoid running the risk of creating a major disconnect between the party leadership and the people, which would have detrimental consequences. He quoted the words of late President Seretse Khama when he said, ' History has shown that a leadership that distances itself from the people is a leadership devoid of wisdom.'

In his speech, Ian said, 'We can never tolerate indiscipline, even though tolerance is relevant. Democracy is not discipline nor undermining the leaders,' informally dismissing what was said by the party chairperson earlier.

DK has in the past had differences with Khama who was accused of fuelling factionalism in the party by sympathising with the A-team faction. The rift between the two was evident ahead of the Kanye Congress, where the Barata-Phathi members who were vying for central committee positions were not afforded party resources like their A-Team counterparts. Khama was accused of campaigning for the A-Team ahead of the congress. Barata-Phathi went on to win most positions in the central committee but never gained control of the party as they were unceremoniously replaced by A-Team members.

DK was once the leader of the Barata-Phathi faction and some still consider him as the spiritual leader of the faction, which has since defected to form the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD). Some analysts have said it is only a matter of time before DK crosses the floor to follow his flock.

He was recently spotted at a BMD gathering at the Falcon Crest but he has continued to deny that he is in any way linked to the new opposition movement. Some people have said he is next to face the BDP disciplinary committee but the party last week issued a statement to the effect that they have no intention of doing that.