Kgosi Mosadi Seboko shocked by parliament action
When Parliament took a decision to remove Paramount Chief of Balete Kgosi Mosadi Seboko from the Pan African Parliament (PAP) on Tuesday afternoon, Kgosi was in South Africa attending the sitting of the permanent Committees of the PAP unaware of the happenings at home.
When she briefly spoke to The Midweek Sun in between her busy schedule on Tuesday evening, Kgosi Seboko said she was not aware of the decisions that were taken that afternoon.
“Who removed me and why? I came here because of government, I did not just wake up and come here, there were processes and communique to high government offices, they allowed me to come. So I am busy working,” Kgosi Seboko said briefly.
When reached, Speaker of the National Assembly Phandu Skelemani said as it stands, Kgosi Mosadi Seboko is not expected to halt business and come to Botswana because of the decisions made by parliament Tuesday afternoon.
“She will be allowed to complete what she is doing there and return home,” Skelemani said.
Asked if Kgosi Mosadi Seboko’s announced replacement Specially Elected Member of Parliament Unity Dow has agreed to take up the PAP position, Skelemani said only the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) can respond on the matter.
The BDP Chief Whip Liakat Kably said announcing Dow as Seboko’s replacement meant that she had already agreed to it. “I am not aware if she has rejected the offer but if she did she would have said something,” Kably said.
He went on to rubbish allegations that the BDP removed Kgosi Seboko from PAP to spite her following the much publicised differences between her and country president Mokgweetsi Masisi regarding Forest Hill 9KO farm.
Kgosi Mosadi Seboko stood firm and fought government over the farm that government had wanted to take away from Balete leading to a long dispute between Balete and government.
The matter was settled by the Court of Appeal ruling in favour of Balete last week.
“That matter was never brought to us. We have not been told of anyone fighting the president. We never discussed Kgosi Seboko at BDP.“
Kably added that what they have gathered is that Seboko asked that she be removed from her position because she is busy with royal duties.
The BDP Chief Whip was also unable to tell with certainty how Seboko got to be appointed to PAP whilst she is not a member of parliament.
"Maybe there were no women in Parliament who could take that role, I am not sure what happened at the time," he said.