This week three relatively young Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) members from the once mighty Barata-Phathi faction tendered their resignation from the central committee. As Guma Moyo, Wynter Mmolotsi and Kabo Morwaeng quit, an irate Daniel 'DK' Kwelagobe called Mmegi to express displeasure that his photo had been published next to a story that speculated on the impending resignations in the party.

Staff Writers RYDER GABATHUSE and TSHIRELETSO MOTLOGELWA argue that the fallout in the BDP is another sign of the success and simplicity of President Ian Khama's strategy in dealing with opponents in the ruling party.

At the heart of Khama's political strategy are simple concepts - respect for the legal environment he is working in, advancing the political careers of those willing to work with him and using state resources to strengthen his control.

Could this be the reason why Kwelagobe did not want to be associated with resigning as BDP chairman? When he called Mmegi to complain, he wanted it known that he was not even contemplating resigning. The little episode was but a scene in a minor act of the endless saga that is Khama's ravaging of opponents and hangers-on in the party. Inadvertently or not the resignations and Kwelagobe's reaction provided the irrefutable proof that Khama had all but dispensed with his nemesis - the Barata-Phathi faction - from the leadership of the party.

It is reported that from the Kanye congress where his preferred candidates were roundly beaten by Kwelagobe and his Barata-Phathi. Khama never rested but fought very hard to regain the control of the party. He was totally worried about his presidency alongside a central committee dominated by Barata-Phathi.

His greatest fear was that Barata-Phathi was likely to establish a separate centre of power which could affect his presidency in the long term. He could therefore not imagine one centre of power led by the state president and the other by Kwelagobe, the party chairman, as it was likely to be.

Though the Barata-Phathi took control of the party after winning all elective posts at the Kanye congress in July, Khama has been calling the shots ever since. At the party's first meeting of the newly elected Central Committee, the President started asserting himself when all the unilateral decisions and actions he had taken were ratified with little dissent.

Khama's Understanding Of The Law

Being closely associated with lawyer Parks Tafa, Khama often makes decisions that are well within the law. Most people only get to know this in retrospect, after the event, but Khama seems to be working in a well-calculated manner, using the law as his foundation. He always knows that according to the party constitution real power lies in the presidency.

When Khama suspended Gomolemo Motswaledi as BDP secretary general, many thought he had blundered. When Motswaledi took the case to court, Khama's major defence was that he had blanket immunity from legal proceedings according to the national constitution. As it turned out he was right and his critics had to re-read their copies of the constitution.

This week as Moyo, Morwaeng and Mmolotsi resigned from the central committee, the futility of their action was exposed by the party constitution.

Khama, as Tafa must have told him, knows that according to Article 16.10 of the BDP constitution it is only when more than 50 percent of the 18 member Central Committee resign that a special congress can be called and new elections held.

Better still, for Khama, if any other number less than half resign, he is free to co-opt new ones into the committee. Now he is just about to pick his team to run the show.

Divide and rule

Khama likes to engage in divide-and-rule. Like a real predator, he knows how to bite the size he can chew. He often separates the big group of opponents into smaller 'chewable' bits.

In the early days following the Kanye congress, Barata-Phathi did not take Khama's initial unilateral decisions lying down. Members of the faction vowed to fight on until 'justice' is done. It was at this stage that Khama reportedly started employing new tactics in dealing with Barata-Phathi members in the central committee.

As part of the new strategy, he at some stage reportedly met the party treasurer, Satar Dada separately before holding another meeting the same afternoon with Motswaledi and Kwelagobe.

The import of Khama's tactic here was simply to sow seeds of division in the Barata-Phathi leadership, which he seemingly performed with aplomb.

Later came the peace deal with Kwelagobe that those in the know dismissed outright as another ploy by Khama to penetrate Barata-Phathi leadership.

A few days before the general elections, Khama reportedly held a secret meeting with Kwelagobe in Kanye where the two agreed to end their rivalry or open attacks on each other. Whatever DK was promised, he emerged from this meeting speaking a different language. He was no longer very active in the faction to the extent that he is generally blamed for Motswaledi's failure to win his disciplinary case. DK did not give evidence before the disciplinary committee when his evidence was invaluable to Motswaledi's cause.

Sources dismissed the secret meetings indicating that Khama and his inner circle were merely implementing their strategy of divide-and-rule in an endeavour to contain their the Barata-Phathi faction.

Khama's strategy was to drive a wedge between Kwelagobe and other members of the faction and win him over to his side. Ordinarily, it appeared like DK was gearing for real peace in the party. But some frustrated members of the Barata-Phathi feared that since he has always been targeted by Khama, the machinations could be a ploy to totally isolate him as the leader of the faction.

Early this year, Khama dropped Kwelagobe from the cabinet for opposing his ultimatum on party elections. Khama issued an edict that BDP members must choose between party positions and ministerial posts but Kwelagobe and his faction refused to heed this. The faction proceeded to win all elective positions at the BDP congress last July and relations between Khama and Kwelagobe - already unpleasant - took on an outright inimical course.

The tactic of divide and rule works for Khama because he has the power of patronage and everybody knows this. Those who have more ambition may break off, drawn by the sweet nectar of potential benefits to join him.

In the run-up to the nomination of Specially Elected MPs, Khama needed the support of the Barata-Phathi faction but he was having a hard time working out how to have them on his side. He knew that at with 22 MPs to his 23, his faction he could not push through the names of nominees for special election. It is reported that he approached a number of Barata-Phathi 'fence-sitters' with the promise of cabinet posts.

At the party caucus staunch Barata-Phathi members found themselves without the usual support of the moderates among them. Khama's list was approved. Next on his agenda was the appointment of the cabinet. He managed to make his appointments without paying any of the Barata-Phathi 'sell-outs' their 30 pieces of silver.

To prove his prowess, the strategy Khama employed in gaining full control of the party from the Kanye congress and elections was simple. He quickly identified people he could convince to help him pull the rug under the feet of the Barata-Phathi leaders.

When he was done with some top leaders associated with Barata-Phathi, he reportedly targeted some of the politicians he identified as more 'vulnerable' and likely not to resist his call. His aim was to reportedly gain numbers for his A-Team faction, which has been in the minority.

One of his main targets has always been Thato Kwerepe who last Monday suddenly killed two birds with one stone after he was elected the party secretary general and made a nominated councillor in the North West District.

State apparatus

There is no question that Khama, as the state president, benefits from the widest network of information gathering systems in the country. Sources indicate that in some cases, he seems to know before hand what his opponents are planning.

This compromises his opponents strategies and ultimately leads to a lack of trust between members of the group opposed to him.