Africa-Press – Botswana. The founding secretary general of the BDP, Daniel Kwelagobe, has revealed that both eminent party leaders Mokgweetsi Masisi and Slumber Tsogwane have rejected his advice to stop their ongoing regional consultative tours in favour of a single large meeting to address the party’s crushing electoral defeat and find a recovery plan as insiders see signs of deepening divisions within the party that ruled Botswana for 59 years.
Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) leader and former president Mokgweetsi Masisi and former vice president Slumber Tsogwane have dismissed advice from party stalwart and founding secretary general, Daniel Kwelagobe, on how the party should move forward after its crushing electoral defeat that ended its 59 years of uninterrupted rule.
Kwelagobe has voiced strong objections to Masisi’s ongoing series of consultation meetings, which the BDP says are meant to address its recent dismal electoral outcome and bring members up to date on the current state of affairs and plot a course for the future. In November last year, the party announced that Masisi would embark on a seven-week tour across the country’s 14 regions of the BDP to meet with members and discuss the election results and the party’s future.
However, Kwelagobe, still an influential figure within Domkrag, disagrees with this approach. He confirmed in an interview that he “had contacted the party leadership, particularly BDP chairman Slumber Tsogwane, urging him to persuade Masisi and other leaders to rethink the consultation tour”.
Single large meeting
Instead, Kwelagobe suggested organising a single large meeting with representatives from all party structures who would then relay the message to their regions. “We did something similar in Palapye before the Kang congress and it was effective,” Kwelagobe said. “This would have been a better approach and would also spare the president a lot of trouble.”
However, Kwelagobe’s suggestion was rejected. “I was informed that the decision to proceed with the tour was final and could not be changed or reversed,” he said, adding that he has accepted the decision since he is not in any party structure but was merely trying to save the situation.
Asked for his opinion on the consultation meetings, Kwelagobe answered that he was not sure of what was being discussed because he had not been involved in any of the meetings. “I don’t know what is being discussed there, so I can’t make any comment,” he said.
Tsogwane digs his heels in
Defending the party leadership’s decision, Tsogwane has insisted that there is nothing wrong with the regional consultative tours. “Everything is going smoothly and as planned,” he said. “As such, there is nothing wrong with the meetings.
“I informed Rre Kwelagobe that the party leadership has made the decision and advised him further that the approach he proposed would be more expensive for the party, which currently does not have money,”
Tsogwane added that the party leadership’s approach is “more accommodative and comprehensive” than Kwelagobe’s proposed alternative. “One would have expected Kwelagobe to attend his regional meeting to voice his contributions or concerns like any other member of the party, but he was nowhere to be seen,” he said.
Calls for Masisi to step aside
Since the tour began, Masisi has faced growing opposition from within the BDP, with some party members openly calling for his resignation to allow the party to recover and plan its next steps after the electoral loss. Insiders are suggesting that rejecting Kwelagobe’s advice may deepen existing rifts within Domkrag, thus complicating the party’s efforts to rebuild after its crushing electoral defeat.
As a key and respected figure in the BDP, Kwelagobe’s views continue to carry significant weight, and his rejection may impact the party’s internal dynamics moving forward.
Despite the party leadership’s defence, there are already concerns that the ongoing regional consultative tours are being used as a platform for Masisi and his allies to campaign for their preferred successors. Some within the party fear that instead of fostering unity and addressing pressing electoral challenges, the tours are being leveraged to consolidate power and shape the party’s future leadership dynamics.
Orderly and respectful
Tsogwane has dismissed these fears and allegations, maintaining that the meetings have proceeded without incident, allowing members to share their views and concerns openly. “The consultations have been orderly, with members engaging respectfully and expressing their thoughts without any disruption,” he stated.
He also sought to refute suggestions that the tours were part of a broader strategy to influence the party’s leadership transition. “I have no idea what succession plan people are referring to,” he retorted.
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