Resources, money were key in preparation for Botswana Movement for Democracy women’s wing congress in Mahalapye last week.
As usual two major factions were at each other’s throats; The Sidney Pilane, Gilbert Mangole and Nehemiah Modubule faction faced off against the Ndaba Gaolatlhe, Wynter Mmolotsi faction. It should be noted that these men are by all accounts at the forefront of deciding who holds which positions in the women’s wing leadership of the party.
Mangole is the secretary general; Modubule is the party chairman while Gaolatlhe and Mmolotsi are President and Vice President respectively.
During the campaign for Mahalapye elective congress Pilane faction was considered well resourced; they traversed the country luring members to support their preferred candidates. They also registered new members to join the movement. On the other hand the Gaolatlhe led faction relaxed. They had to come up with the plan to beat the “money team”. This publication gathers from sources that at some point the Pilane led faction denounced the BMD President.
They said he was no longer the leader of the movement. This is where members were also told how they were supposed to vote when they arrived in Mahalapye.
The night before the election in Mahalapye; the opportunist faction led by party President played their cards. This is when they approached the same people that Pilane faction had transported and temporarily housed.
Easy catch, easy meal; it was then that news started filtering to the Gaolatlhe faction that somebody had been peddling the news that Gaolatlhe was no longer a President of the BMD.
Gaolatlhe faction took time to say what the truth was, at one point one woman cried when she learnt about the lies. This is when some members swayed to their President’s side, resulting in a loss to Pilane led faction.
It must be noted that at one point the congress was brought to a halt when the two factions took centre stage.
The congress was scheduled to be officially opened on Friday 6, May at 2pm; it was postponed to Saturday, the conducting of the elections that was scheduled for Saturday was delayed to late Sunday. This meant the Congress went on until late Monday.
However the outcome of the election did not turn into the perceived strength that Pilane led faction is said to have as Gaolatlhe faction dominated all major positions. Pilane got few less important positions one of them being Organising Secretary.
It must be further noted at this point that Pilane led faction has populated the National Executive Committee, it also populated the BMD youth League.
The youth league is said to have derailed from its mandate, it is expected to convene in Kanye at the end of June to talk about among other things how it failed the movement.
