19 Jul 2017

Botswana Movement for Democracy faction led by Messers Nehemiah Modubule, Gilbert Mangole and Dr Tlamelo Mmatli also known as MMM have elected their leadership during an elective congress held at Matshekge Senior Secondary School in Bobonong on Saturday.

Outgoing chairman of Botswana Movement for Democracy, Mr Nehimiah Modubule told the faction during the official opening of the congress that they were backed by the party constitution.

Mr Modubule said their party was registered with the Registrar of Societies, and that it was run through the constitution presented when it was registered.

He said the constitution allowed those grieved by the decision to take them to court if they felt the party was not obeying what it was established for.

Mr Modubule told members of his faction that they were obeying the party constitution, and that no one could  take them to court for disobeying the constitution.

He said rumours circulating in social media and other news platforms that they were sent to destroy BMD were not true.

Mr Modubule said BMD members must follow the party constitution, and that those who do not obey it should be  punished.

He said it was not true that some BMD members were against the party being a member of UDC, adding that BMD was happy to be in UDC and that it worked hard to ensure that the coalition wins the general elections in 2019.

Mr Modubule said his experience in politics and activism made him to know Botswana politics.

He said governance has been a problem in Botswana politics, and that the late Mr Gomolemo Motswaledi was the one who revealed poor governance in the country.

The leader of the MMM faction, Advocate Sidney Pilane dismissed the other faction congress led by Mr Gaolathe as non-members of their party. He said their congress should not be recognised and associated with BMD.

Advocate Pilane said this during a media briefing after their faction elections in Bobonong on Saturday.

He said their faction was holding the congress according to the party constitution.

Advocate Pilane said their BMD faction would do its best to prepare for the 2019 general elections by bringing in new members that would help UDC to the elections.

He said their faction would attend UDC meetings when they started, and that they would also introduce their new party leadership to UDC as time goes on.

Mr Pilane said his faction would not get into any discussions with the Gaolatlhe/Mmolotsi faction and would invite their lost BMD members back to the party to rebuild for 2019.

He said BMD members had suffered a lot because of Mr Gaolathe and his friend’s leadership.

During the closing ceremony on Sunday, Advocate Pilane said BMD members had tried to be patient about the ill treatment from the former party leadership until they decided to expel them from the party to bring order and unity.

Adocate Pilane said BMD was a party that needed to be respected and that it was not owned by certain individuals.

He said their party would not tolerate indiscipline regardless of the state of the person causing trouble.

He said BMD was formed to be an ideal party that would be a true democratic party that must be run by its constitution at all times.

He urged his faction party members to stay away from fights that were done in social media and requested them to seek permission from the party leadership when they want to talk to  the media.

He said BMD would start working well with the media and encouraged media houses to report political parties’ issues professionally without taking sides.

He said opposition parties unity was one of the things that made him to go back to BMD because the idea was good enough to make opposition parties win the 2019 general elections. BOPA