This week, the president of the BPP, Motlatsi Molapise, suspended Dorcus Nakedi Moemedi, councillor for Monarch Central in the Francistown West constituency. In Moemedi’s letter of suspension leaked to Mmegi entitled, “Suspension: Yourself”, dated January 27, 2025, Molapise said: “It has been noted that you participated in the group “Kwa Shangoo” which has not been authorised by the party. This group was consistently used by some party members to launch attacks against the party and its leadership, the same was later spilled over to newspapers. You were cited as one of the group administrators and the most vocal in this group and dropped off some bitter remarks in which you viciously attacked the leadership of the party without any sense of remorse or guilt... After considering internal due process, I have therefore, as president resolved to suspend you for 45 days in terms of the constitution with effect from the date of this letter pending action by the disciplinary committee...”
Contacted for a comment about the suspension, Moemedi confirmed that she was indeed suspended by Molapise but was constrained to reveal more about the matter because it is internal between her and the BPP. The BPP says it will continue to crack the whip within its ranks against members who are not using legal and relevant party structures to discuss their grievances against the party. Moemedi’s suspension follows the recent suspensions of other prominent activists of the BPP including secretary-general (SG) Tireoeaone Ntsima, Youth League president, Vivian Ramokapane, and Youth League SG, Gosego Phuthego. Others who are also suspended include the BPP’s communications secretary, Alfred Mashungwa, and ordinary member, Gaba James. Party insiders say the suspensions highlight the ongoing power struggles within the BPP ahead of the party’s leadership forum in May, which is expected to set the ball rolling about when it will hold its elective congress. The BPP has not held its elective congress in many years and most of its central committee (CC) members are functionaries who were co-opted after they joined it from other opposition parties. Party insiders have told Mmegi that the suspensions target figures with close ties to a faction that want the party to hold its elective congress who are accused of fanning unrest within the ranks of the party.
They add that although the BPP leadership is downplaying the seriousness of tensions currently rocking it, the simmering tensions reveal that it is divided and struggling to contain its internal conflicts following its stellar performance in the General Election last year. The rival factions, insiders say, will continue to battle for the soul of the BPP until its elective congress and threaten to tear it apart if not managed effectively. The tensions within the BPP reached boiling point after some of its concerned members wrote a letter to the party’s central committee (CC) demanding the holding of the elective congress. Their letter partly reads: “We, the concerned members of the BPP, express our concerns regarding the current leadership and the CC’s failure to adequately represent our interests at both the BPP and UDC levels. It appears that there is a preference for recruited cadres from other political parties, as well as those individuals who demonstrate financial stability." "We submit this list of demands in light of recent observations regarding the effectiveness and representation of the CC. Our commitment to the party and its ideals necessitates that we address the following issues: We demand an immediate scheduling of an elective congress to ensure that the CC operates with a legitimate mandate from the party membership. It is unacceptable for the CC to function without a formal vote of confidence from the party members for an extended period.”
The concerned BPP figures also said, “we are concerned that the recent appointments of specially nominated councillors appear to favour personal connections rather than the interests of ordinary party members. We demand transparency and inclusivity in the selection process for all appointed positions to ensure genuine representation,” they argue, among a raft of radical demands. When asked if Moemedi is on suspension, the acting BPP SG, Venter Galetshabiwe, said: "Yes it is true that she is on suspension by the party president for misconduct since he is the one vested with the powers to suspend."
