Ephraim Keoreng
5 November 2009
Three prominent members of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) Central Committee have resigned.
They are Deputy Secretary General Wynter Mmolotsi, additional members Guma Moyo and Kabo Morwaeng who handed in their letters of resignation at Tsholetsa House in Gaborone yesterday afternoon.
Meanwhile, party chairman Daniel Kwelagobe, who was rumoured to have also quit, dismissed speculation that he planned to leave the post he clinched at the Kanye congress last July.
But speaking in an interview with Mmegi yesterday, Mmolotsi confirmed his resignation from the substantive post of deputy secretary general. He, however, declined to disclose the reasons for quitting the BDP politburo.
"I will reveal my reasons later, but meanwhile, I want to thank democrats for their support in Kanye (congress), when I sought the position of deputy secretary general up to now," he said.
Likewise, Morwaeng said he would explain his reasons at a later stage.
Moyo said that reasons for his resignation were "an internal party issue", but hastened to add that his action was informed by principle.
The trio are active members of the Barata-Phathi faction that won all the Central Committee seats at the Kanye congress, but the party was plunged into crisis after the suspension for five years of Gomolemo Motswaledi, who was popularly elected at Kanye.
But the last straw would seem to be last Monday's election of President Ian Khama's man, Thato Kwerepe, as the new secretary general at the expense of Barata-Phathi faction's favourite son, Mmolotsi.
However, Moyo explained that his resignation should be treated as an individual choice. "I resigned as an individual, not as a faction. It is a matter of principle.
"As a human being, you can compromise, but you should never compromise principles. A person who compromises on principles is dead. Of course you can define principle, but you can't change its meaning," said Moyo, waxing philosophical.
There had been rumours that DK, who is widely known as the leader of the Barata-Phathi faction had also resigned, but the BDP strongman dismissed the speculation.
Kwelagobe, who had defeated Tebelelo Seretse of the A-Team at Kanye, called this paper and said he had not resigned from the party chairmanship.
When talking to Mmegi in an unrelated interview, he stated that he would never quit. "Ga ke tsewe ke phefo fela, e re pheho e hoka ke bo ke re ke a resign," said an irate Kwelagobe.
BDP executive secretary Dr Comma Serema confirmed that he had received the trio's resignation letters and emphasised that Kwelagobe had not resigned.
"DK will not be resigning, he is not going anywhere," said Serema.
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