Merafhe fails Francistown test

RYDER GABATHUSE
Staff Writer | Friday March 5, 2010 00:00

 

Instead, insiders including the party regional committee feel that the visit could have deepened divisions in the region.

Merafhe is a Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) elder by virtue of his position in the ruling party and government. His recent visit was prompted by reports that some ruling party civic leaders had defied a BDP caucus meeting decision early this year.

He was therefore sanctioned by the BDP central committee chaired by President Ian Khama, to investigate acts of impropriety in the party's Francistown region.

This relates to the decision to elect the city mayor and his deputy at the BDP caucus before the actual decision was made in the council chamber the following day through elections.

It has now become a tradition that the BDP does not hold elections openly in areas where it has a majority in the councils.Those who break this established party norm face the wrath of the party leadership.

But four councillors, former mayor, Buti Billy, James Kgalajwe, nominated councillors, Ford Moiteela and Masego Pule, simply chose to defy the BDP caucus. Instead of endorsing the preferred candidates Shadrack Nyeku for the mayor and Stanley Masalila for deputy mayor, they fielded their own candidates.

Kgalajwe had stood for both mayor and deputy and enjoyed support from Billy, Moiteela and Pule against the party order. The three who supported Kgalajwe are associated with the A-Team faction of the BDP.

Members of the Barata-Phathi are adamant that Merafhe's visit was merely to castigate them since they are in the majority in the Francistown City Council (FCC) as opposed to only four of the A-Team factionalists.

After meeting the BDP councillors, the impression of one councillor, who preferred anonymity, was 'Merafhe came here with the main reason of challenging if the regional secretary, former councillor Sam Masunga really had the authority of writing a letter of complaint to the party secretariat early this year.'

He wondered if his attitude was all about finding peace or creating further divisions in the party.

'Look, the very issue which was raised by Merafhe was initially raised by councillor Botho Ntirang who is an A-Team faction member. But Ntirang was ruled out as not the best person to answer, as he was not present when such a decision was made. He was not part of the committee that ran the caucus,' said our source.

But members of the Barata-Phathi, who also dominate the regional committee, were also irked by the choice of words that the VP used when addressing the meeting of February 19 attended by ruling party councillors and leaders of the party's established structures.

'We strongly feel that the VP has failed to reconcile us and instead, the gap that has always existed between us has even widened,' added our source. Words which left some activists bitter reportedly include: '... Yoo sa batleng go berekela phathi a ye kwa ga mmaagwe...(Those who are not willing to serve the party should go back to their places of origin.' This statement seems to have rubbed some people the wrong way.

To further vent their concerns, the Francistown regional committee wrote to the party secretary general two days after Merafhe's visit listing their complaints. The letters have already been submitted before Merafhe has met with the central committee next week to brief them. 

'We the Francistown regional committee members hereunder write to you in an endeavour to set the record straight, and above all, out of a deep sense of injustice incurred in the running of our affairs,' reads in part a letter originated by the Francistown region.

The regional committee also show that the initial response by the office of the BDP secretary general by way of an inquiry 'by yourself in person and our executive secretary, Dr. Comma Serema where after we were satisfied that defiance of the caucus meeting decision had been proven, not only that, you also parted ways with us without entertaining any ambivalence as to the fact of a defiance, more particularly so because you took sight of individual written invitations to all councillors.'

The regional committee is of the feeling that 'your inaction in the matter herein is not only a bad precedence but it constitutes fertile ground for seeds of a schism. In other words, if our dissident elements cannot be reined in by yourself from high above, what more about us from ground level?'

The regional committee will only be pleased once the quartet has appeared before the party's disciplinary committee. To further reinforce their demand for a disciplinary measure, the committee further writes: 'Be mindful of the fact that this is no demand out of the ordinary for there is an instance in Selebi-Phikwe where a similar departure from consensus by dissident elements is currently the subject matter of disciplinary proceedings. All we are asking for is that our matter be similarly placed and equally treated with the urgency it deserves.'

In a move meant to further support the decision of the Francistown regional committee, nine councillors, apparently associated with Barataphathi have written a letter to the party secretary general dated February 21.

'The purpose of this letter is to, as we hereby do, unreservedly endorse the veracity of the contents of the regional committee members' letter and further to subscribe in to the contents thereof as if same were penned by ourselves,' further reads a letter authored by Joyce Ndove, Raoboy Mpuang, Biki Mbulawa, Steven Michael, Ace Ntheetsang, Shah Jack, Meshack Matseka, Shadrack Nyeku and Stanley Masalila.

BDP executive secretary, Dr Comma Serema confirmed that the secretariat has received a letter originating from the Francistown region packaged with their complaints.

'We were rather shocked to learn the councillors and the region were not happy. Subsequently, we saw a letter from the region complaining that the meeting did not go well, yet they all promised to work together as a team including the mayor Nyeku who gave a good vote of thanks,' says Serema who attended the meeting.

Serema pointed out that not at any point in the meeting did anyone register dissatisfaction with the proceedings.

However, Serema says the VP will next Monday make a report to the central committee, which will determine the way forward.

Naturally, Serema says the issues raised by his Francistown colleagues would not attract a response from him especially that it is a matter that is before the central committee. He says due to the 'serious nature of the allegations it is important that we set the record straight.'

When asked about the reportedly derogatory part of the address, Serema distanced the VP from such reports.

'It's not true that the VP used unpalatable language when addressing the meeting. The tone of his address as I understood him, it was simply that we all echo the same sentiments for people to work for the party. But when people do not subscribe to the norms and aspirations of the party as dictated by the constitution they better step aside,' explained Serema.