DK faction regrouping?

In the wake of the fall from grace of the incumbent MPs comes speculation that the party's defunct Kedikilwe-Kwelagobe faction has started to mobilise itself ahead of next year's elections.

Over the weekend the Minister of Health and incumbent South East South MP Lesego Motsumi lost the party's primaries to Odirile Mothale. Motlhale arrived late to contest the constituency and many did not see him prevailing when paired against the incumbent and minister Motsumi. A product of UB's BDP branch, the Gs-26, Motlhale comes across as a reluctant politician. In 2004 he tried his luck in Gaborone West and lost to Robert Molefhabangwe of the Botswana National Front (BNF). He is believed to be aligned to the Kedikilwe-Kwelagobe faction.

After walloping Ronald Ridge for in Maun West constituency, Batawana Paramount Chief Moremi Tawana has bounced back into politics. Tawana is described by many as defiant and is known as a hard nut to crack among the BDP's upcoming cadres. A commercial lawyer by training, Tawana resigned from the chieftainship in 2003 to join politics on a BDP ticket. His dream to go to Parliament then never materialised as he was vetted by the BDP central committee after he openly criticised then vice president Ian Khama for flying Botswana Defence Force (BDF) aircraft. Tawana is a well known Kedikilwe man and his victory has brought hope to the Kedikilwe-Kwelagobe camp, as he is the only man in the BDP who can take Ian Khama head on if elevated to the level of legislator.

The 46-year-old Mokgweetsi Masisi has also made his mark after defeating incumbent MP Maitlhoko Mooka. Masisi is the son of former BDP MP Edison Masisi and younger brother to Francistown MP Tshelang Masisi. He however argues that his political ambitions have nothing to do with his family ties. Masisi holds a Master degree in Science (Msc) and currently works as a research officer, specialising in HIV/AIDS. Masisi ousted Mooka who beat him in the 2003 primaries.

On the other hand, councillor Gilbert Mangole, who defeated MP Rakwadi Modipane in Kgatleng West, regards himself as an old horse within BDP politics. A staunch Kedikilwe man, Mangole boasts of being the founding father of Gs-26 at the UB. He worked as a banker before joining active politics. Mangole first cut his teeth as a councillor in 1999.

He has previously lost to Modipane but pulled a surprise when he ousted Modipane. Both Modipane and Mangole are known to be sympathetic to the Kedikilwe-Kwelagobe camp.