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Botswana: BNF Seems Headed for Another Showdown
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Mmegi/The Reporter (Gaborone)
7 April 2008
Posted to the web 7 April 2008
Oliver Modise
Botswana National Front (BNF) seems headed for another showdown come July. On one hand sits BNF Lobatse legislator and former BNF chairman Nehemiah Modubule while in the other corner sits party spin doctor Moeti Mohwasa.
Modubule has gone public, insisting that the party constitution states that the BNF should hold a congress this coming July, contrary to a statement released by Mohwasa that the BNF will only have a party conference.
Modubule says he has been stomaching the issue and cannot keep mum while the party constitution is being ignored.
"Nobody is saying let's go to congress and vote a new leadership," he said, adding that the statutory congress should not be stopped.
"There is nowhere in the constitution where it says we can't have a normal congress after last year's special congress," argues Modubule. At that congress, Modubule among others, Kathleen Letshabo, MP Akanyang Magama were booted out of the party central committee after calling on party president Otsweletse Moupo to step down.
The ousted former BNF chairman is arguing that if the party does not go for a congress it will be unconstitutional. He said that at the last congress no reports were made, as there was only one item on the agenda.
"Congress is the supreme body and we are going for elections next year," he stated.
However, insiders say there is a sinister ploy by members of the defunct Letshabo faction to oust Moupo. "They know they can vote him out only through the congress," said a close source. Modubule has however denied being party to a plot to oust Moupo.
In a separate interview with the Monitor, Mohwasa pointed out that he did not want to engage in a dialogue with Modubule through the paper. He said that he did not understand why there was a wide spread view that the party ought to hold a congress. He highlighted that every central committee elected to office had to serve for three years.
"Their stay in office was cut short by the special congress," he said. "As far as we know there is no congress this year, it's only a conference", said Mohwasa.
"It's disappointing to have party issues raised through the media," he said adding that he was urging his party members to rally behind the leadership.
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He advised that there are party structures in place that Modubule and others in doubt can use to raise the issue.
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