- Mohwasa says he is not at liberty to state the number of councillors who have complied
- BCP says parties are UDC members but members of parties are not
TEFO PHEAGE
The Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) has declined to state the number of Botswana Congress Party (BCP) councillors who have complied with its 26 September 2022 deadline to choose between itself and the BCP for the next general elections.
The deadline has come and gone but sources say not many BCP councillors have complied with the UDC ultimatum and that both entities are still engaged in the effort of winning the councillors’ allegiance.
UDC spokesman, Moeti Mohwasa, declined to state how many coucillors had complied with the ultimatum, saying he is not at liberty to.
For UDC’s NEC to decide
Asked what they will do about councillors who did not meet the deadline, Mohwasa said the NEC will decide. “I cannot say whether there will be an extension or not,” he added. “This is for the NEC to decide after going through the expressions of interest received.”
Meanwhile, BCP spokesperson, Dr Mpho Pheko, has told The Gazette that they have instructed their councillors to treat the ultimatum with the contempt that it deserves and ignore it. She described the ultimatum as yet another devious but ill attempt to divide the BCP that will fail.
BCP president, Dumelang Saleshando, has reiterated his position that members of the UDC are political parties and not individual members of political parties, noting that this applies to councillors.
He added that for the UDC to seek to transact with individual members is not only contemptuous but disrespectful of its own constitution.