Masisi uses 2003 Bulela-Ditswe loss as reference point

Spira Tlhankane | Tuesday October 15, 2024 10:40

Disgruntled BDP members who were irked by the outcome of the party’s July primary elections have joined the opposition or become independent candidates, which Masisi feels should not be happening. Just like in the primaries of past years, the BDP finds itself fire-fighting a wave of grievances from disgruntled members who feel hard done by the system.

Speaking during separate political events in Ditshegwane and Mmathethe recently, Masisi said he lost the party primaries popularly known as Bulela-Ditswe but never started a conflagration of protests, nor threatened to sabotage his party at the general election.

“I am the president but once rose from the ground after defeat. I dusted myself off and competed again. When I finally won, I did so by a margin of four votes,” Masisi told BDP members in Ditshegwane recently.

He added that after winning at the second attempt, five years later it was a whitewash for his opponents at the General Election. Masisi emphasised that the decision not to dispute his loss in 2003 worked for him since the opponents he had beaten in 2008 decided to support him. “Ne re le bana ba motho (we were like a family),” he said.

A day later Masisi told BDP members in Mmathethe that he had never at any point sent people to attack the BDP central committee (CC) after losing. “Nna yo ke kile ka palelwa ke go fenya ditlhopho tsa Bulela-Ditswe. Ga ke ise ke tlole legora. Ga ise ke tlhokele ope maitseo, ga ise ke tsamae le segopa se neng se tlhasela o neng ke eme le ene, (I once failed to win Bulela-Ditswe elections. I never jumped around displaying bad manners nor did I gang up on my opponent),” Masisi pointed out. Masisi said when people from the same party disagree or compete for positions, they speak to each other with humility.

Masisi’s first attempt to win the primaries in the same constituency his father, Setlhomo Masisi, held between 1965 and 1999, was below par as Mooka retained his status as Moshupa MP candidate. Mooka went on to win the seat in the 2004 General Election. Masisi’s shot at the constituency in 2003 came four years after his father retired from politics and the same year the latter passed away. It was also the same year the BDP introduced Bulela-Ditswe and did away with the all-powerful Committee of 18 that determined the fate of anyone seeking political office on the party ticket.

Since Masisi was unable to enjoy the Committee of 18’s king-making limitless powers, he had to do it the hard way by attempting to oust Mooka, the same man his father had endorsed in 1999. With losers of the primaries usually bringing up allegations of cheating, flawed voters’ rolls, and voter trafficking after elections, it is said that Masisi was distraught but never protested the result. Masisi who reportedly wanted to give up, was motivated to soldier on by his late brother, Tshelang Masisi, who was the incumbent MP for Francistown West at the time.

To show BDP members that losing Bulela-Ditswe is not the end of the road, now during campaign launches, Masisi features some former BDP MPs who lost the July primaries to help with the campaign.

He has so far featured Sam Brooks, who lost Kgalagadi South to Diana Kartze; Talita Monnakgotla, who lost Kgalagadi North to Moatlhodi Mahupu; Oabile Regoeng who lost Molepolole North to Bashi Kgakge, and campaign manager, Lefoko Moagi, who lost Gamalete to Dr Derrick Tlhoiwe.