BMD spends over P100,000 On congress

EPHRAIM KEORENG
Staff Writer | Monday May 2, 2011 00:00

 

Giving the financial report at the BMD inaugural congress at St. Joseph's College, interim treasurer Guma Moyo said in the financial year 2010/2011 the party has used about P2 million to undertake various work for the party.

He said the bulk of the money was received from well-wishers, party activists and supporters and added that some of the figures of money received from some financiers has not been indicated in the report because they 'want to remain anonymous,' he said.

Moyo said at the BMD's Francistown rally held last year, where the party was said to have attracted close to 12,000 people they spent P130,000. He said in the Tonota North by-election campaign where the opposition was supporting a Botswana Congress Party candidate, Dr Habaudi Hobona, the BMD spent P120,000.

Regarding the office the party is renting in Gaborone, Moyo said the property, which they leased for three years, is eating P7,000 monthly from the party coffers in rentals. 'We spent P80,000 in office renovations, P60,000 for buying the stationary, including the one for membership registration forms. Now the membership of the party, as reflected in the membership forms, has grown to 70,000 and we have not collected the membership fee, which is P10 per member. This means once we give people their identity cards and get the P10 from them we will have P700,000,' he said.

Moyo said the party needs about P100,000 to run the office everyday. For campaigning in the next general elections (2014), the BMD will need at least P10 million, he said.

The BMD, the treasurer said, currently has P600,000 in its bank account. Moyo said they had a P400,000 shortfall and urged members to dig deep into their pockets and help support the movement so that it can carry out its works.

He urged them to pledge at least P20 each, adding that if they were to make stop orders, the BMD will rake in P1.4 million every month.'That way we will be better resourced to take out the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP),' he said.