Tawana fed up with UDC

Member of Parliament for Maun West, Tawana Moremi has finally quit the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) after enduring a “long period” of silent misery.

On Monday, just before finance minister Kenneth Matambo presented the budget speech, Speaker of National Assembly, Gladys Kokorwe announced that she had received a letter from Moremi that he has resigned from UDC and will henceforth be an independent Member of Parliament.

Speaking to The Midweek Sun outside Parliament buildings after the budget presentation, Moremi, who is also the Sovereign of BaTawana tribe, said: “There are a lot of things that are happening at UDC which I do not want to associate myself with.
'Batswana will see in no time what I am talking about. I am confident that it will come to pass,” he said but declined to reveal these ‘things.’

Asked whether he has consulted the leadership about his resignation, Moremi said, “There was no need because they never listen to me. Dikgang tsa UDC ga di a nkema sentle le batho baaka ko gae. So, it was best I leave them in peace. They should have been civil enough not to allow such situations to happen,” he said.

Contacted for comment, UDC spin-doctor, Moeti Mohwasa said the party has not received any correspondence from Moremi regarding his resignation. “I cannot comment because we have not received anything from him. We were surprised by the announcement made by Speaker of National Assembly.”

At one point, he wrote on his Facebook wall saying UDC leader Duma Boko and Ndaba Gaolathe do not own him. “You may be aware, I have removed myself from the UDC. I am waiting for the resolution of an issue my party colleagues are avoiding. I am hopeful it will be resolved. I remain a member of the BMD, I remain a member of the National Assembly,” he said.

Even though there are allegations that Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) is recruiting Moremi, he denied this saying nobody from the party has talked to him. “I am an independent candidate and I am expecting to continue like this until I leave politics in 2019,” said Moremi. This is not the first time the issue of him leaving politics surfaces - before the 2014 election, Moremi said he was not going to contest.

Last year, it was reported that the UDC took Moremi to South Africa for psychiatric evaluation. At one point, another UDC MP, Kgosi Lotlaamoreng was taken by the party to South Africa for rehabilitation and the party has since assigned a person to look after him. Last year an Okapi knife was found in Parliament and there were allegations that Moremi had brought it with him. Immediately after that security at Parliament was beefed up.

But the soft-spoken MP came guns blazing to deny the link to the Okapi incident accusing the ruling party MPs, Eric Molale and Patrick Ralotsia of spreading untruths about him. “I see the BDP is on a war path against me but I would be damned to let them go unchallenged on this one,” said Moremi at the time.

The resignation of Moremi from UDC means that the party, which is an amalgam of three opposition parties – Botswana National Front; Botswana People’s Party and Botswana Movement for Democracy - currently holds 15 seats, while its new affiliate, Botswana Congress Party has two Members of Parliament.

Towards the end of last year UDC lost a seat when its MP for Tlokweng Same Bathobakae died. Although he resigned from UDC, Moremi says he remains a member of Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD), which has nine MPs while their partner, Botswana National Front BNF) has six MPs. Botswana People’s Party has no MP, while the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) has 39 plus four specially-elected MPs.