Oliver Modise
3 December 2008
The Botswana National Front (BNF) has announced that it has suspended its former youth wing president and parliamentary aspirant for the Gaborone North constituency, Gabriel Kanjabanga.
The indefinite suspension comes hardly weeks after Kanjabanga and his supporters disrupted a rally held by his rival at Gaborone North, Lemogang Ntime in a dispute that ended at the Broadhurst Police Station.
The clash between Kanjabanga and Ntime comes after months of an unresolved dispute over who should represent the BNF in Gaborone North. Kanjabanga has threatened legal action as he wants to be declared the party's candidate at Gaborone North. On the other hand, Ntime, a latecomer in the constituency, after transferring from Molepolole, wants to challenge Kanjabanga for the primaries.
Suspended along with Kanjabanga are Kaizer Leepile, Malatsi Mokhubame, Thuso Mogorosi, Samuel Taunyana and Dikgakgamatso Kgoadi, all of whom are Kanjabanga's supporters and are against Ntime's candidature in Gaborone North. "The suspended members conducted themselves in a manner that does not conform with the BNF rules and regulations, thereby violating the BNF code of discipline and procedure," states a press release from the party's publicity secretary, Moeti Mohwasa.
Mohwasa has indicated that the suspensions will be referred to the party's disciplinary committee that is chaired by Ntime. Murray Dipate also sits on the committee. A BNF activist said that Kanjabanga's suspension was a political manoeuvre by the party' leadership to endorse Ntime as the party's candidate in Gaborone North.
In an interview, Kanjabanga said that the suspension was news to him.
"I am not aware of any suspension," he said.
One of his loyalists, Mokhubame, who is also on the suspended list, laughed off the suspensions adding that there was no reason to purge people because they had different views.He criticised the party leadership for failing to address the issue surrounding Ntime's candidature in Gaborone North.
Meanwhile, the BNF has also indicated that it has postponed its extraordinary congress that was scheduled for this weekend. The party has deferred the extraordinary congress to January next year.
The congress is meant for the adoption of policies that will lead the "war-torn" party to the 2009 general elections.
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