Controversy that rocked the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) leading to the suspension of Botswana Congress Party President, Dumelang Saleshando, and the party Secretary General, Goretetse Kekgonegile, is far from over.
Although the duo was slapped with a three-month suspension, the UDC National Executive Committee (NEC) has decided to extend the suspension after the two challenged the decision in court.
However, when asked about the way forward, BCP Publicity Secretary, Mpho Pheko, said that their view was that nothing stops the UDC from proceeding with the disciplinary process since the ongoing court process did not interdict them.
“This further demonstrates the governance challenges in the UDC. Important to highlight is that, given the economic and social challenges bedevilling the country and people of Botswana, serious and progressive forces should come together to ensure that come 2024, for the first time, Botswana will experience a transformative but sustainable change of government.”
Pheko added that the focus of the BCP now is on building a broad-based coalition for a meaningful change of government towards a new Botswana.
Meanwhile, the UDC Head of Communications, Moeti Mohwasa, said that the BCP was clutching at straws.
“If indeed the interest is in effecting regime, change they wouldn’t have behaved in the manner they did. They are on record saying that they are prepared to defer regime change in 2024 and that they want to extend the Botswana Democratic Party’s stay in power,” said Mohwasa, who added that the BCP members are inconsistent and parade themselves as UDC MPs and councillors but, outside council chambers and parliament, they distance themselves from the movement.
“We all know that if it were not for the floor-crossing act, they would have resigned,” said Mohwasa.
He further highlighted that such behaviour did not reflect that BCP are principled as they want to portray themselves because if they were truly principled, they would have long resigned.
“They resigned in 1998 from Botswana National Front because the floor-crossing act was not there,” he quipped.
Following their suspension, Saleshando and Kekgonegile filed a case before court seeking, among others, for their suspension from the UDC to be declared unlawful, wrongful, unreasonable, improper and invalid.
Saleshando went on record saying he was not a UDC member therefore he didn’t understand how the UDC could suspend someone who is not their member.
The two were suspended by UDC NEC in June for allegedly dragging the name and reputation of the Umbrella through the mud.
