Leading up to the BDP elective congress held this past weekend in Tsabong, chairperson and deputy secretary-general aspirants, Nonofo Molefhi and Unity Dow respectively singled out France Museveni as the main architect of pre-election intimidation tactics.
Earlier this year, Dow, a former minister and Specially Elected Member of Parliament, told the media that she is under the general impression that Museveni is not just a random political agitator on Facebook, but rather a syndicate of protected individuals tasked with tarnishing her name.
Briefing the media after the congress, Masisi expressed that their party does not condone bullying or intimidation of any nature but also indicated that there is a limit to the things he can do as the Head of State and president of the BDP in addressing some of these cyber bullying allegations.
He admitted that cyber bullying is a problem and indicated that their party does not have the resources to find out who some of these pseudo accounts are. Masisi said if they could find out the identity of people who intimidate others during elections they will sanction, suspend them from the party and have them removed from the elections. “Political abuse is not allowed because when we conduct our elections and congresses, there is an ambiance and culture we always make sure prevails.
We do not tolerate intimidation,” he indicated. Masisi said there is no toleration of bullying and intimidation in the leadership of the party. He said he sometimes receives complaints of cyber bullying within his own party.
He said he cannot deny that members of the BDP participate in bullying. He said they talk about bullying and harassment the same way they talk about leaking because they are all concerns. “These things come with digital technology and as people we choose to use it in a very bad way,” he said.
Masisi said people are free to report cyber bullying cases to the police so that people who commit these crimes are punished. He said the pre-election intimidation allegedly suffered by some of members of Molefhi’s Team Equity was not part of their agenda or policy as a party.
He said some of the things, which are said on social media were distasteful and as a party they condemn it. Masisi was quick to say that the political landscape is as rough as the media landscape. He said politics and media have similarities.
“You as the media, you are rough, you bully, you intimidate,” he told a gathering of reporters. For his part, the newly elected BDP chairperson Tsogwane also blamed the media for allegations of cyber bullying, which rocked their party before the weekend congress in Tsabong. Tsogwane blamed the media for fuelling intimidation. The VP is of the opinion that the media does not interrogate people who come forward with intimidation and harassment allegations. “You don’t interrogate, you are just happy because someone is on radio speaking,” he said.
Tsogwane said the media writes untrue stories to fuel issues of harassment. Some of the Team Equity members still maintain that they were intimidated before the Tsabong elective congress. Dow, who has always indicated that the harassment she has been getting was escalated by the Museveni account, told Mmegi in Tsabong that the allegations that they were carrying loads of cash scared donors away and funds are an important part of a campaign.
She said they do not know where Museveni fits in all of these issues at BDP.
“Museveni will have to explain why he/she/they are interfering in the BDP elections,” she said. For the longest time, the Museveni account, which hides behind whistle-blowing antics, has been accusing Dow of corruption, alleged to have been committed during Dow’s time as the Education minister. Museveni who calls Dow “Mmaonyana”, has labelled her as a ‘thief’. Museveni alleged that Team Equity was given money to buy delegates at the BDP congress. On Tuesday when addressing the media, Molefhi said Museveni started before the elections alleging that they were bought by former president Ian Khama. “I took time to explain to people that as Team Equity we do not have any friendship with Khama.
Museveni further alleged that we were hiding loads of cash at the flat we were residing at in Tsabong. We were even shocked when Museveni posted pictures of the place we had booked as accommodation for our team,” he said.
Molefhi said Museveni threatened owners of the flat they had booked and they were shocked. The former Selebi-Phikwe East legislator said he took time to report Museveni to the police but the bullying continued into the elections.
He said the BDP officials approached the owner of the flat and asked them to return Team Equity’s money. “We paid around P13,000 and the officials countered and offered the owners of the town house P52,000 to reject our offer. We don’t understand where these uncommon issues of intimidation come from,” he said. Molefhi said they have proof of intimidation issues where people were told to disassociate themselves from Team Equity.
He said people’s businesses and future ambitions within the party were threatened. Molefhi said going forward they cannot allow the issues of intimidation to continue because it is not their culture as Batswana. He said people should not instill fear in others because of difference of opinion. On his Facebook account, Museveni said he will soon address Molefhi in order for people to know what kind of a person the latter really is.
