Botswana National Front (BNF) presidential candidate Prince Dibeela has decided to step aside from the race over ‘personal challenges’. Speaking to The Telegraph this week following his announcement to fellow comrades Dibeela confirmed the news but would not discuss the ‘personal’ reasons.
“Regrettably, yes I’m quitting the race but I prefer not to share the reasons because they are family matters,” he said. The BNF vice president was leader of the ‘Team Restoration’ lobby list that sought to bring a change of guard to the party leadership. He said however that he could not speak on behalf of his fellow comrades as to whether they intend to continue with their aspirations for their respective leadership positions.
“That will be completely up to them. It is of course good for democracy that there should be competition for positions,” he said. Dibeela wrote a letter to his fellow BNF comrades this past weekend announcing his decision to step aside.
“This note serves to let you know that I have come to the difficult decision of withdrawing from the race for the Presidency of the BNF,” the letter reads. “I have personal challenges that make it difficult for me to continue to engage in the process of canvassing for the position of President. This is regrettable as I believe our vision of restoration of the BNF remains necessary. We have to commit to rebuilding the character of the party to make it welcoming and tolerant of diversity of thought.”
He says in the letter that there are other commitments such as rebuilding the party structures, the political education culture of the party, the need to run the secretariat of the party with professionalism. “To these ideals we remain committed. However, I want you to appreciate that we are in a struggle for life, and sometimes that struggle incapacitates us at a personal level and at other times at a corporate level. Whatever the case might be we hold on to the political dictum ‘forward we go, backwards never.’ When we retreat it is only momentarily and tactically. I know many comrades will be disappointed, however I pray that you will understand, respect the decision and be in solidarity.”
He says the BNF comes first and that they should continue to engage, sift and choose a leadership that values the social democratic character of the movement.
Team Restoration had to recall some of their members Noah Salakae, Kago Mokotedi, and Nelson Ramaotwana some time in 2021 following differences over calling a truce with President Duma Boko’s faction.
The lobby called a media briefing to “clarify” their differences with the three candidates. Salakae had written an open a letter criticizing the lobby group of victimizing him and his two comrades over their stance on a reconciliatory compromise between Dibeela and Boko’s factions.
“I had a different opinion. Which opinion, fortunately, was the opinion of Comrade Ramaotwana and Comrade Mooketsi. Our view was simple. Comrade Boko and Comrade Dibeela were leaders of the BNF first before they could identify themselves with their respective factional inclinations. Important yet, slates to us existed as more as instruments for the convenience of intra-party elections. Not to stifle debates and other associated freedoms. We genuinely felt the party was heavily bruised by the contest between Comrade Boko and Comrade Dibeela,” Salakae wrote.
It is not clear if Dibeela’s decision to step aside will strengthen the call for a truce and possibly compromise list for the party’s upcoming national congress.
