The Botswana Congress Party (BCP) has informed this publication that the party executive committee will decide on what action to take against Members of Parliament (MPs) who are refusing to assist the party with campaigns at Bophirima ward by-election to be held tomorrow.
This was after the five MPs openly told the party president Dumelang Saleshando that the central committee does not have the power to stand on its own outside the UDC unless congress says so.
The five MPs who did not agree with the party central committee decisions include Kenny Kapinga, Dithapelo Keorapetse, Never Tshabang, David Tshere and Onneetse Ramogapi while those who supported the decision of the central committee were Saleshando, Taolo Lucas and Kgoberego Nkawana. However, only Kesitegile Gobotswang and Goretse Kekgonegile did not attend the Parliamentary caucus.
The BCP has 11 MPs in Parliament under the UDC.
This publication has learnt that from the five that had refused to go and assist at Bophirima ward, only two agreed to pledge the P500 contribution that was needed from each parliamentarian while the other three Keorapetse, Tshere and Tshabang refused to do so. The latter added that they couldn’t be seen to be funding something they do not believe in. When questioned on the issue, the BCP spokesperson Mpho Pheko said: “We are focusing on the Bophirima campaign.
All other matters will be attended to after the by-election.” An insider, however, told this publication that the central committee intends to suspend the three MPs who refused to contribute the P500. “This issue is not treated fairly because all the five MPs have not even bothered to come to Bophirima and action must be taken against all of them. We cannot take action against some and leave others just because they paid P500. Their presence could have meant a lot during the campaign.
The central committee's decision is binding to all, it does not select.
The central committee should not be selective. This issue will be discussed again at the upcoming conference and the stand of the party on UDC will also be made,” the insider said. However, the MP for Nkange Constituency, Tshabang said he is not aware that the party executive committee intends to take action against them. “I have told them my stand on Bophirima ward and therefore I cannot discuss the issue with the media. I cannot go and campaign there,” Tshabang said. For his part, the MP for Mahalapye West constituency, Tshere said he cannot discuss the matter since it is internal while the MP for Selibe-Phikwe West Keorapetse also refused to comment on the issue.
Still, on the matter, political analyst Lesole Machacha said: “What is currently happening in the BCP shows us that there are problems that we do not know and there might be a bigger issue apart from the Bophirima ward.
This issue is deeper and I think everyone is trying to use the Bophirima ward to communicate. Normally a party caucus is binding but if MPs cannot agree with their party, then it shows that the matter was not communicated to them first when it started. The central committee must engage its members, especially MPs because it needs their support in whatever decisions they make especially difficult ones.
This matter must be treated carefully because it might ruin Saleshando’s relationship with his MPs.
Machaha also said if the BCP does not win the ward or become runners up to the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), then it must be careful that the issue will tarnish the image of the party and Saleshando will lose popularity.
In addition, Machacha said whatever is happening in the BCP currently shows that there is factionalism that people might not be aware of or the media has failed to pick. He said Saleshando should not be drifting away from his MPs but if this issue is not resolved amicably and the party rushes to suspend members, it might cause some defections. He continued: “I foresee the BCP having serious factionalism. In the coming party elective conference, the members are going to challenge Saleshando.
To me, Saleshando still needs the support of his MPs.
Failure to agree on a small matter of a ward clearly shows a problem and one wonders if opposition parties are serious about the issue of taking power. What is happening now is suicidal for opposition parties.” Machacha said. The political analyst said it is really sad since some members had started to attack some MPs without even knowing the facts while some tried to defend the action of their MPs. Machacha said Botswana politics had shown that some splinter parties usually have a problem with those that they defected from.
For example, the Alliance for Progressives (AP) will not work well with the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD), which is currently happening between the BCP and the Botswana National Front (BNF). He said usually if opposition parties gain momentum, then these kinds of issues start to emerge, which end up killing efforts of cooperation as happened in the 2014 and 2019 general elections. He said in the 2014 general election, the BCP pulled out of UDC while in 2019 it was the AP.
