BDP courts BCP

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

The BMD has five councillors, the BCP has seven with the BDP numbers standing at 10. This week, Satellite North councillor, James Kgalajwe who has always championed the course of the BDP team said all is not lost in the battle against BMD.

'We can't give up the fight. We are still pursuing the BCP to look critically at the situation. We are saying it is not normal for a minority party to run the council, at the expense of the parties in the majority,' he said.

'Unless the BCP realises that it is abnormal and give us the support we need, then the party that is in the minority will remain in charge,' he added.

He emphasised that there is need to redress the imbalance at the council to reflect the strength of the parties. Kgalajwe bemoaned the fact that it is difficult to explain to the electorate why the BMD has taken all the key positions in the council with the BDP only getting deputy mayor and chairing minority committees.

'We are saying to the BCP, this is abnormal but they are not listening as of now in the name of opposition cooperation,' the councillor said in frustration.

The BDP has been trying to loosen control of the BMD in the council but this has so far failed because they could not raise sufficient numbers. An ouster is only possible if one party or a combined force could raise a two-thirds majority to successfully table a motion of no confidence.

Nyeku said yesterday that he will  remain in office up to 2012, in accordance with the council Standing Orders, which were amended towards the 2009 general elections. He was unfazed by the BDP wish to oust him and challenged his detractors to raise the numbers necessary to remove him from the seat. He said the BDP has superior numbers as a single party but it cannot overcome the combined opposition numbers.

His main wish is for the BDP to lose the deputy mayor's position and then the two opposition parties will negotiate the way forward.

He laughs at the BDP challenge saying that: 'The BDP team's bid to move a motion of no confidence dried up after they were advised that it could not go through unless they had two thirds majority which they could not raise'.

BCP, which is viewed as a neutral force is steadfast that given the current atmosphere where opposition parties have opened their doors to talks, there is no way they can support the BDP.

In addition, councillor Ephraim Maiketso of the BCP hopes that one BDP councillor might defect and give the opposition a two-thirds majority and full control of the council.