Regional chairperson Nzwaligwa Nzwaligwa said yesterday that the party had no such plans, adding that it was "only the general membership that has the mandate" to determine its representatives. Speculation had been rife that the BCP leadership in Selebi-Phikwe was eager to remove candidates deemed as weak and replace them with new faces. With the arrival of untested candidates following the party's primary elections, some wards in Phikwe had reportedly been targeted. Rumours that BCP was about to purge its candidates gained momentum after the Central Committee vetted parliamentary hopefuls Itumeleng 'Shine' Ngakaetsile and former councillor Modise 'Super' Thipe.
Sources within the BCP said the affected candidates were aware of manoeuvres to have them removed as contestants. "The leadership has certain favoured members and wants such members to contest the elections in place of some candidates who were elected during the primary elections. However, this would be a setback for the party if the regional leadership were to circumvent inner party democracy," the source said. The member added that it would be suicidal for the opposition to impose its candidates, especially since the 2009 general election is just around the corner.
