Botswana Congress Party’s loose canon character Phagenyane Phage has rubbished news that he has joined the Botswana Democratic Party. This week when the BDP president Mokgweetsi Masisi welcome some opposition party memebers among them Kentse Rammidi of the BCP, Phage was mentioned among the new recruits despite his absence at the press conference.
Phage says news that he has joined the ruling party has also shocked him, saying he remained a staunch BCP soldier even though the party has left him a frustrated man. Phagenyane is frustrated by the ongoing fight for constituencies at the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), which has seen contracting member Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) being given what he believes should be BCP constituencies. He feels the BCP is wasting time with the UDC and adds if it were by him, he would pull his party out of it and go it alone.
Despite these frustrations, Phagenyane feels he cannot dump the BCP for BDP as he feels the latter does not conform to his political ideology. He admits that the BDP did try to recruit him but that he has turned them down. The UDC and indeed the BCP suffered a blow when Rammidi and some councillors were paraded at the press conference yesterday, with Rammidi speaking and saying Masisi’s ascendancy to power had given him hope that the BDP would return to the days there was internal democracy.
Rammidi left the BDP for the BNF before quickly joining the BCP in what he said was a protest against the leadership style of former president Ian Khama. Now Khama has been replaced by Masisi and political observers say they see more former BDP politicians currently in the opposition going back to the party.
The announcement of these new BDP members comes fresh after the UDC overpowered the ruling party in the past weekend’s parliamentary by-election in Mochudi East, a feat that has since taken attention away from the victory.
BCP president, Saleshando confirmed Rammidi’s resignation saying he only cited personal reasons for his departure.
Apart from Rammidi and Phage, Councilor Elijah Motsamai, Ernest Nthobelang and University of Botswana academic Professor Thapelo Otlogetswe were also welcomed into the BDP. Prof. Otlogetswe is said to have been a member of the BMD.
I AM NOT BDP: Phagenyane Phage says he is frustrated at BCP but wont join Domi
PHOTO: Daily News
