- Money needed for visibility where BPF is making inroads
FRANCISTOWN: Councillors of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP)here have rejected a request by the party to donate money for use by Vice President and party chairman Slumber Tsogwane in constituencies where the BDP perceives a threat from the Botswana Patriotic Front, The Botswana Gazette has learnt.
Sources say the idea is to show people in such constituencies that the BDP is always with them, especially in difficult times such as the present scourge of the Coronavirus. “I can confirm that recently we had a meeting where the party leadership asked us to make donations to be distributed by the VP when he tours our regional structures,” said one councillor. “We were told that these donations are meant to make the party visible, especially during this time when all activities are suspended. This was a plan to take the party to the people, more so that the donations were going to be led by the VP and the party councillors.”
The councillor said the appeal was rejected because they believe there are national issues that deserve the priority attention of the party more than making campaign donations. “Besides that, we were of the view that the party wanted to fulfill its failed promise of providing people with COVID-19 food relief packages,” the councillor said.
“Our government promised to help people with food relief packages for a period of three months and the decision has been reversed for unknown reasons. We cannot therefore be expected to make donations to cover this government failure.” This is not the first time that the BDP has attempted to seek donations from its activists around COVID-19.
Prior to the first lockdown, the party failed to draw donations of part-salaries from members in elective office to the COVID-19 Relief Fund. Reached for comment, the Chairman of the BDP Francistown Region of the BDP, Baemedi Medupi, was quite evasive. “We have been making lots of donations to help those in need,” said. “But if it comes as a request from the party, it looks like people on a mission. This was not going to look good at all