Botswana People’s Party (BPP) has resolved to expel their party president, Whyte Marobela, from the party, accusing him of violating the party’s code of conduct.
The Sunday Standard is in possession of a letter written to Marobela by the Central Committee.
The letter reveals that the BPP made the final decision to dismiss Marobela on Wednesday last week after advice from the National Executive Committee to take action against him.
The letter further states that the party made discoveries that sometime in July 2010, Marobela acted in a way that amounts to sabotage of the party by meeting with the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) leadership and engaging in cooperation talks on behalf of the BPP without authorization from the party.
The BPP Secretary for Constitutional and Legal affairs, Kumbulani William, confirmed to Sunday Standard that indeed they decided to expel Marobela because he violated the party’s code of conduct. He added that they were left with no option but to expel him because he was breaking their party constitution, which he formed part of.
“The organization simply feels that it can no longer have Marobela as its president,” he said.
However, in a telephone interview with the Sunday Standard, Marobela rubbished the claim of expulsion by the Central Committee, asserting that he voluntarily took the decision to step down after some disarray in the party on the 5th of February this year.
Marobela said that the party even begged him not to step down earlier on, fearing that the party’s image would be tarnished prior to the Shashe Mooke by elections early this month.
“…now after the elections they want it to appear as if they have expelled me from the party while I volunteered to step down,” he said.
He confirmed that he once met with the BDP party leadership, to try and propose cooperation with their party for the good of the party, not necessarily to propose a merger as some of the BPP members allege. He added that he did it for the benefit the BPP just like opposition parties would work together in other countries.
“But I just want to assure the public that I have not defected to any party; I am still a firm member of the BPP,” he said.
