The opposition Botswana Congress Party (BCP) and the Botswana National Front (BNF) have scoffed at recent developments within the ruling Botswana Democratic Party, where some ruling party operatives are facing expulsion after allegedly being found guilty of colluding with the opposition to subvert the selection of specially elected members of parliament.
The BDP trio of Botsalo Ntuane, Kabo Morwaeng and Advocate Sidney Pilane face possible expulsion from the BDP, after they were found guilty of colluding with the opposition to influence the selection of exiled former BDP Secretary General Gomolemo Motswaledi, together with some opposition party members, as specially elected MP’s.
But the recent revelations, which come after President Seretse Khama Ian Khama instructed a secret team of investigators to look into the issue, were rubbished by Gaborone Central MP and BCP’s Publicity Secretary Dumelang Saleshando, who said that they were never consulted on the matter.
“The BDP has not consulted us on the matter. Even if they were to do that, we would not cooperate with them. It is not in our interest to engage in petty internal party squabbles,” he said.
Saleshando labelled the recent developments as utterly ridiculous, saying that the opposition is within its rights to lobby for support from within the ruling party structures.
“I talk to anyone I meet in the BDP. These charges should, if anything, be extended to all the BDP supporters in Gaborone Central who voted for me,” he said.
He said that during the nomination of specially elected MPs everyone at parliament got to know about Khama’s list of preferred candidates on the day of the nomination. He denied that there was a plan to subvert Khama’s nominated candidates with those of the opposition and Barata-Phathi faction of the BDP.
“If it was so we would have forwarded the names of our preferred candidates,” said Saleshando.
BNF’s spokesperson Moeti Mohwasa also said that the BNF cannot comment on the issue because it is an internal party matter.
Mohwasa also said that the BNF was never consulted during the investigations, further saying that they would not have cooperated with the investigators even if they were approached.
He said that the ruling party is divided along factional lines, accusing the Khama leadership of looking for excuses to get rid of unwanted individuals within the party.
Meanwhile the three BDP members, Ntuane, Morwaeng and Pilane have revealed that they are not aware of any plans to expel them from the ruling BDP.
