As the polarised Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) heads for the congress in Kanye today, members of the Barata Phathi faction have expressed fears that supporters of President Ian Khama (pictured) might stop the scheduled Central Committee elections.A source close to the Barata Phathi, said Khama’s intelligence has tipped him that his preferred candidates do not stand a good chance in Kanye. Khama has indicated that he supports Tebelelo Seretse, who is challenging the incumbent Daniel Kwelagobe for the post of BDP chairperson. The President has been criss-crossing the country, campaigning for his preferred candidates and at times vilifying Kwelagobe.
On Wednesday he was in Francistown, where he is reported to have pleaded with BDP members that the scheduled elections should be stopped.
The North East region has already tabled a motion that the Central Committee elections should be deferred and the current committee retained. But a member of the Barati phathi said they are going to oppose the motion “because you cannot come up with a resolution that violates the party constitution”.
Members of Barata Phathi have also expressed fears that if the current Central Committee was to be retained, some members are going to be purged from the party.
On the other hand, members of the A-team also feel that their political future will be doomed if Barata Phathi take control of the party.
In his report, to be presented to the congress, BDP secretary general, Jacob Nkate orders that the party should crack the whip against perceived dissidents.
“The congress must order the immediate dissolution, without exception, of all groups that have been formed on the basis of some platform or other, and instructs all organisations to be very strict in ensuring that no manifestations of cancerous divisions of any sort to be tolerated. Failure to comply with this resolution of the congress will attract unconditional and immediate expulsion from the party.”
Nkate adds that in order to ensure strict discipline within the party and to achieve maximum unity while eliminating all divisions, the congress must give the Central Committee full powers to apply all measures of party punishment up to and including expulsion.
“I have avoided one word when I talked about differences of opinions. I do so because I want to rid the party of this “untasteful term” while emphasising that we must have robust debates and accept that we can hold different views, but totally aligned to a common cause. This word is “faction “.
Nkate says that it is essential that all BDP members clearly realise the harmfulness and inadmissibility of any divergent divisions whatsoever. Propaganda on this matter, he said, takes the form of detailed explanations of the harm and danger of embedded divergent divisions from the stand point of party unity.
“These enemies, who have become convinced that criticising the leadership openly is the way to go, are making every effort today to use differences within the the party to advance divisions.”
He says: “The divergent divisions in our party are troubling, not because divergent divisions per se are unknown in political organisations, but rather because they are based on perceived different opinions rather than issues.”
Nkate says some people think he is a coward for not seeking re-election as the secretary general. They think he should not have agreed to President Khama’s initiative that Cabinet ministers should not stand for Central Committee elections.
But said no leader of a party would go anywhere if people did not give him the necessary support. “We have to support our leaders. The leader shall stand tall and tower upon our shoulders.”
Mmegi Online
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