22 Jul 2015

Mr Nehemiah Modubule retained the Botswana Movement for Democracy’s (BMD) chairpersonship at a three-day national congress in Ghanzi over the weekend.

Mr Modubule beat Maj. Gen. Pius Mokgware with 304 votes to 140 while 19 were spoiled. The position of the party’s secretary general was also retained by Mr Gilbert Mangole over Mr Sedirwa Kgoroba with 312 votes against 112 votes with six spoiled votes.

The position of deputy secretary general was won by Mr Tlamelo Botlhole with 320 votes against Mr Sennye Kono with 94 votes.

Mr Percy Bakwena was unopposed in the treasurer position and his deputy is Ms Keitumetse Sekhute while the policy director position went to Dr Tlamelo Mmatli with 291 votes against Dr Phenyo Butale with 123 votes.

Sharing some of his plans for the way forward, Mr Modubule said he aims to work towards victory in the 2019 general elections.

To attain that, he said building the party’s structures across the country was one of his priorities. He added that he wants to focus on building the BMD for the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC).

He also said discipline within the party was also one of his priorities. He added that discipline would be instilled without any fear as they want to have disciplined cadres going to 2019.
He said party leaders who did not emerge victorious in the last elections would also have a role to play in the party in order to take it forward.

Mr Modubule also noted that political education was critical in the party.

He said some party members were not aware of their party’s ideals and vision.

He said they need people who understand the mandate and vision of the party and who would understand the policies of both the BMD and UDC.
Expressing his delight over his win, Mr Mangole said he was grateful to party members as they have shown confidence in him.

Although he was only in the position for 10 months after the death of Mr Gomolemo Motswaledi, taking from Mr Wynter Mmolotsi, Mr Mangole said he thanked his party members for voting him. He noted that it was his first elective position in the party.

In an interview after the elections, Mr Mangole said his plan as the party’s secretary general was to build party structures as well as increase registered party members.

He explained that the party’s structures suffered after the merging into the UDC, and said it was now time to rebuild them.

He said as the BMD they were a part of the UDC, and that his aim as the secretary general was to ensure that their stake as a party in the UDC stays and grows so that it takes the movement to the next level.

He said they were on a path to unify the movement as one party, and that they needed to play a role in removing any obstacles and challenges to realise that UDC was a one party movement.

Furthermore, Mr Mangole said as the secretary general his role would be to coordinate youth and women’s wing committees. He said one of his tasks with regard to the women’s wing which was an interim committee was to ensure they deliver their congress next year.

Mr Mangole shared Mr Modubule’s sentiments on discipline, saying the plan was to restore discipline within the party, especially among the youth.

He said he would be working with the disciplinary committee to restore the confidence of Batswana when it comes to issues of discipline in the party. Ends