Kanjabanga for BNF top seat?

LEKOPANYE MOOKETSI
Correspondent | Tuesday March 9, 2010 00:00

Sources in the party say Kanjabanga's name has been proposed after  another  lawyer, Dr Bucs Molatlhegi pulled out of the race. Molatlhegi was expected to contest the BNF hot seat with the current party vice president  Olebile  Gaborone and another Gaborone lawyer, Duma Boko.

In the Temporary Platform list that was circulated, Kanjabanga was given the position of secretary for economic affairs. Yesterday, he said he was still going to think about going for the BNF top seat. If he decides to contest, he might find himself pitted against his childhood friend and fellow lawyer, Boko.

The relationship goes back to their school days in Mahalapye before they joined University of Botswana (UB) to study law and dabbled in student politics. Boko is also currently representing Kanjabanga in a criminal matter.  As young activists, they looked forward to the former BNF president, Dr Kenneth Koma. 

Kanjabanga is one of the BNF hardliners and a former  president of the youth league. He was one of the BNF activists who rescued Kenneth Koma when the former BNF president had a fall out with his central committee in 1998.  He represented Koma when other committee members challenged his unilateral decision to run the party. 

He later served in the BNF interim central committee.  After the 2001 central committee elections, Kanjabanga became an ally of the BNF president,  Otsweletse Moupo.  He was one of the activists  who vehemently  defended the BNF leader when there were calls for his resignation.

Kanjabanga even become Moupo's legal representative when the BNF president was down. But the two fell out during the 2007 special congress and elections when Moupo sidelined his ally in preference of Gaborone in the race for BNF vice president. Kanjabanga who was then non-aligned, contested the seat and lost.

In 2007, he indicated interest in the Gaborone North constituency as the BNF parliamentary candidate. But the party preferred Lemogang Ntime, forcing Kanjabanga to fight an unsuccessful legal battle. He insisted that Ntime did not qualify to contest the primary elections and should not be allowed to stand. 

After the BNF approved Ntime's name to contest the elections, Kanjabanga took the party to court.  He wanted to be declared the sole BNF candidate for Gaborone North but lost. The High Court ruled that Ntime should contest primary elections.

Kanjabanga failed to attend a disciplinary hearing after the ruling and Ntime was eventually given the nod by the party to contest the general elections which he lost.