Ndaba Gaolathe, the outspoken son of former Finance Minister Baledzi Gaolathe is said to be facing suspension from the ruling Botswana Democratic Party. BDP insiders have revealed that Gaolathe earned himself the wrath of the BDP leadership when he recently wrote a scathing letter in which he attacked the party leadership and said that the charges that have been laid against Botsalo Ntuane, Sydney Pilane and Kabo Morwaeng are unfounded.
It is understood that the BDP’s Culture and Publicity Committee was last week trying to establish Gaolathe’s membership number and his constituency to package their case against him.
Last week Gaolathe stated in his letter that there is nothing wrong with BDP members accused of colluding opposition working with the opposition to find a common ground.
His statement comes barely a week after the ruling party trio of MP Botsalo Ntuane, Kabo Morwaeng and Sidney Pilane refused to apologise following charges that an investigating team appointed by the party leader Khama had implicated the three in a ploy to team up with the opposition and elevate Gomolemo Motswaledi and Sidney Pilane to Parliament as specially elected MPs.
In an interview with The Telegraph Gaolathe stated that he was not aware that his letter might have been a ticket for a reprimand from the ruling party.
“The letter I wrote came from the heart. I wrote things I believe in and I was being true to my convictions,” he told The Telegraph.
In a separate interview, the secretary of the publicity committee Macdonald Peloetletse said that he would comment on the issue after at least seven days.
He would not confirm or deny reports that his committee would launch a complaint before the party’s disciplinary committee against the younger Gaolathe.
“I will not comment for reasons that I shall advance after seven days,” said Peloetletse.
In his letter Gaolathe made it public that his faction which he says has assumed the face of a ‘movement’ had indeed deployed some of its cadres like Ntuane,Morwaeng and others to lobby for support from opposition party members.
Gaolathe accused the ruling party of wasting time in petty quarrels instead of focusing on policy issues.
He said that he was not prepared to keep quiet in the face of injustice as the party leadership was adopting a ‘ruthless’ tact in trying to instil discipline within the party rank. He also accused the leadership of purging youthful BDP members who differ with the current leadership.
Further, he said that those who opt to keep quiet about the goings on in the ruling party were swimming in denial. He said that the silence could only result in collapse of the BDP and the countryt’democratic culture.
