Mmegi

BDP wars escalate in Tonota

Acrimony: Bulela Ditswe rearing its ugly face in Tonota as Tapela and Boatile clash ahead of primaries PIC:KENNEDY RAMOKONE.
Acrimony: Bulela Ditswe rearing its ugly face in Tonota as Tapela and Boatile clash ahead of primaries PIC:KENNEDY RAMOKONE.

FRANCISTOWN: The Botswana Democratic Party (BDP)’s Setshege Tapela has written a letter to the party complaining about his opponent for the upcoming primaries, Andy Boatile, who he accuses of capturing key party structures in the Tonota constituency to gain an unfair advantage.

The complaint letter is addressed to the Francistown region committee. Boatile and Tapela were recently vetted in to contest the BDP primaries to decide the party’s candidate for the Tonota constituency at the 2024 General Election. The date for the primaries is yet to be set.

Tapela also alleges that the party’s Tonota branch vice chairperson and vice secretary who are in charge of registration of members ahead of the primaries are deeply conflicted since they are Boatile’s supporters. He even accuses the duo of allegedly doing all they can to obstruct his efforts to register new members who are intent on voting him at the primaries to give Boatile an upper hand. “Most of the people whom I have recruited to join the party were not registered. About 100 people were sent back, with a reason that they are members of opposition parties.

Then my question is, where do we recruit people other than from the opposition? Furthermore, I would like to know how they qualified that those who were denied registration were members of opposition parties and not needed in the BDP,” reads an extract from Tapela’s letter. Tapela also alleges that the branch secretary, one Kefilwe Sekwidi bluntly told him that he will not register the people he brings for registration.

“It is surprising and disheartening that a member of the South East ward committee who denied some people an opportunity to register, later approached some of them to register on condition that they vote Boatile at the primary elections. Some were even directly approached by Boatile since he had their cell numbers. If evidence is needed, I will avail it,” Tapela said.

The South East ward committee falls under the Tonota branch. In his three-page letter, Tapela also strongly asserts that there is a plan by the branch committee to suspend him from the BDP under false accusations that he has misbehaved or disregarded some so that he does not contest the primaries. In addition, Tapela said he approached Boatile with some of his concerns, but he was not openhearted. “I confronted him (Boatile) on several issues (relating to their differences). In response he told me that he has been told that I plan to eliminate or kill him,” reads parts of a letter from Tapela. In an interview with Mmegi yesterday, Tapela confirmed that he has written a complaint letter against Boatile to the party but said he cannot discuss its contents as that would be in breach of party procedures and regulations. “I have routed the letter to the relevant party structures and I am patiently waiting for a response,” he said.

On the other hand, Boatile told Mmegi that he is not aware that there is a letter of complaint against him. He maintained that he has not breached any regulations governing the ruling party primaries. Francistown region chairperson, Mpenzeni Sambandawe, also said he is not aware of any complaint letter reportedly written to the region by Tapela.

The alleged wrestling between Tapela and Boatile is not surprising. The BDP primaries are usually characterised by infighting and deep rivalry among candidates. Recently, the party issued a statement indicating that all prospective primary election candidates who will not adhere or comply with party procedures, regulations and guidelines will be disqualified. Some BDP activists did not pass the vetting process because of breaching regulations relating to the party primaries. Already, there are reports that some of the candidates who were recently given the go ahead to contest the primaries face prospects of being barred from contesting because they have also started a trend of disregarding regulations governing the primaries.

Editor's Comment
The people have spoken

In fact, early election results in some areas across the country, speak to large voter turnout which suggests that voters crowded at polling stations to decide appropriately. The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) revealed that 80% of the 1,037,684 people who had registered to vote turned up to exercise their right.It’s unfortunate that at the time of cobbling this editorial comment, results had just started trickling in. We recognise that...

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