Intrigue, drama, political survival, loyalty and disloyalty fall short of describing the internal Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) machinery in the advent of the mayoral elections in Francistown.

The BDP council caucus held at the party offices in Francistown on Sunday attracted scores of BDP members who were keen to be the first to know the outcome of the caucus for the mayoral elections. But it was the build up to the election that was exciting as Barataphathi allegedly hatched a plan to plant seeds of discord in Buti’s camp which is believed to be aligned to the Khama-Merafhe faction.

A source close to Barataphati revealed to The Northcast in an interview that their faction had approached Peter Ngoma to challenge the incumbent. According to one of the BDP councilors aligning himself to Barataphathi, they were very well aware that Ngoma was capable and wooed him to their camp.

Their opponents have a different view of that claim and believe this was a move to plant seeds of discords in the numerical dominant Khama-Merafhe faction. There are nineteen BDP councilors in the City of Francistown with ten sympathetic to the Khama-Merafhe faction and nine associating themselves with Barataphati.

“They knew that he would not resist the offer.” Getting Ngoma to stand as their candidate at the caucus will leave Ngoma’s team with a numerical advantage over the Buti team,” said Otto Masogo a self confessed supporter of Buti Billy.

The decoy brought to oust Billy Buti, Peter Ngoma, proved to be a divisive element even in the camp that was supposed to support him. Some councilors in the Barataphathi are said to have withdrawn their support for Ngoma after Francistown West Member of Parliament Tshelang Masisi instructed councilors loyal to him not to vote for Ngoma hence the death of the ouster plan that looked set to end Billy’s run.

A visibly pleased Masisi remarked after the election that he was going to teach Ngoma a political lesson. “Ke tsile go mo ruta dipolotiki,” he shouted as he drove away.

However Ngoma refuted allegations that he was being used by any particular faction saying that factions were buried in Molepolole. He said any councilor has a democratic right to forward his name for consideration if they so wish. “There are no factions in Francistown. Fa e le gore di teng go setse manotonoto fela,” Ngoma said.

The absence of factional division was further echoed by councilor for Monarch East Wilfred Zibani Masima. Masima said they went into the caucus as a united force and whoever won in the caucus will be supported by other BDP councilors. “We are not going to vote along any factional lines. Factions are a thing of the past. If I wanted to stand then I can also submit my name,” he told Northcast.