In what may be signs of what is at stake, a number of high ranking members of the ruling Botswana democratic Party have lately swarmed the office of Vice President Ian Khama with names of people they think he should be considered for the position of Vice President when Khama becomes head of state in about seven months period.
Sunday Standard has a list of names of individuals and groups that have so far approached Khama with their choices of Vice President.
While he/she has to be approved by parliament, the choice of the Vice President, like the rest of cabinet is the prerogative of the President.
In each instance Khama has not made any promise, except to ask each group who had sent them.
“We had not been sent by anyone. We just met on our own, and though we should approach Khama on the matter,” said one member of the covert delegations.
One of the three groups recommended Jacob Nkate, the other Daniel Kwelagobe with the last putting forward Ponatshego Kedikilwe’s name.
“Its true we have been to se the Vice President on who we think he should choose as Vice President. We told him we were not sent by anyone. It was a courtesy call. He made no promises, except to tell us he was listening,” said one of the group’s delegates.
Interestingly, none of the two leading factions of the party are agreed on who to present as their preferred choice to Ian Khama.
The faction led by Nkate and Merafhe is said to be bitterly divided as each of the two men fancies himself as a potential candidate for the position of Vice President.
A BDP insider says intra-factional campaigns for the position of vice president have surprisingly become dirtier and more hateful than the normal inter-factional contest.
But Khama has lately detached himself from factions stating in no uncertain terms that his name should not be used by anyone in their contest.
Interestingly, all the groups that approached Khama told him that they had not been sent by anyone, but that they are just assisting him on who to choose from as he scouts for a deputy.
