UDC trivialises Moti report allegations
In an effort to clarify allegations contained in an investigations report by amaBhungane and Sentry alleging that South African businessman Zunaid Moti had intended to use the UDC as a Trojan horse to consolidate his power, Botswana Guardian spoke to UDC spokesperson Moeti Mohwasa.
BG: What is UDC's view regarding the allegations carried by amaBhungane suggesting that UDC signed the contract with Moti or one of his companies?
Mohwasa: To us these are just that, allegations. They are not true because we as an organisation are not for sale to the highest bidder like Domkrag.
BG: Was the alleged deal and, or contract signed between Duma Boko and Moti and, or his representatives ever authorised by the National Executive Committee of UDC?
Mohwasa: The existence of such is news to us and therefore we have nothing to say.
BG: Based on the fact that Boko always preaches transparency, can you kindly disclose the details of the alleged agreement signed?
Mohwasa: There is no detail to share as firstly we are not even aware of the existence of that document.
BG: At the time when Boko signed the contract and, or signed the alleged contract, was he aware that Moti has just come out of prison after being arrested for stealing diamonds?
Mohwasa: Though we hold no brief from Moti, the article that you are referring to states that the charges levelled against Moti were not sustainable. He is not a convict, is he? It was in the public domain that he was once arrested though not convicted.
BG: If the allegations and or findings of their investigations are false can you deny or confirm that there has never been such a contract signed between Comrade Boko and Moti or any of his companies based abroad?
Mohwasa: Like we said we are not aware of what you are talking about.
BG: If the findings of this investigation are false, then is either Boko or the UDC not considering taking legal action?
Mohwasa: We have an organisation to run and are focused on 2024 (general election). The purpose is to distract us and we won't fall for the bait. If we were to always take legal action against newspapers and the media regarding false allegations, distortions and untruths they disseminate about us, by now we would have issued more than a hundred summonses against The Guardian/ Midweek Sun group of newspapers based on the type of stories you publish about us.
BG: Kindly state the total amount, that Moti assisted UDC with, and how was the money paid to UDC, i.e in cash or any other form?
Mohwasa: No money was paid to the UDC. We are aware that there are allegations that are being peddled that we received tons and tons of cash from Moti. We know that these questions are part of a fishing expedition. What we all know about his help is what we have seen. The Choppers, the planes and everything that you saw including T-shirts. The media centre that had to be abruptly closed at Masa because of the DISS harassment.
For your information the UDC still has bills to settle from the 2019 General Elections. So it’s not like we had a lot of money as it is being peddled.
Part of the story published by the amaBhungane reads; Internal Moti Group documents suggest that Moti had aimed to extract hugely favourable concessions from the Botswana state, grafting onto Botswana the sort of grand plans he had seemingly tried to set in motion in Zimbabwe years before. To do this, the documents suggest he was going to rely on the Botswana opposition as a Trojan horse, by backing Duma Boko’s Umbrella for Democratic Change.
Among the documents are ones purporting to show that a Moti company based in the Seychelles called Longway Solutions had entered into an agreement with Boko to fund his election campaign “and has to date committed an amount of $ 9 400 000. 00”. In return, Longway expected “certain commercial opportunities with the co-operation and assistance of the Government of Botswana” in the event of Boko’s victory.
The eye-watering details of the expected opportunities included that the Moti group would be appointed to provide mandatory travel insurance to visitors of Botswana, be made chief negotiator to engage with De Beers diamond mining company, which plays a central role in Botswana’s economy, that the Moti Group would manage border control and security for the country, and undertake business activities in the beef, fuel, lithium, and fertiliser sectors.
Relatedly, Exotic Holding Limited, a Moti Group company registered in the Seychelles, was to have exclusive rights to distribute generic medication in Botswana for ten years. It is not clear whether Boko or the UDC had agreed to any of these plans, and he did not respond to the Sentry’s request for comment.
Moti told amaBhungane “I did contribute a small amount to the UDC political party as they requested funding for their election campaign. As an investor in the SADC region, I am free to donate to a political party if me so wish, in the furtherance of the multiparty system of democracy. “There is nothing wrong with acquiring fuel, lithium, fertiliser, or anything else commercially, and as a company we are more than entitled to do so. Our proposals were to add value to Botswana and would have been to their economy’s benefit.”
It was a bold gambit – sinking money into the opposition in the hope that should they come to power the favours would flow back to Moti – but it failed to pay off. The UDC did not unseat the incumbent Botswana Democratic Party, which won a crushing victory taking over 50 percent of the vote.
Boko cried foul, with Moti again playing a supporting role by funding an investigation into allegations of electoral fraud by private investigator Paul O’Sullivan and a failed legal challenge. The allegations, however, came to naught. Moti’s avenue to the Botswanan state was cut off, and he was never able to gain influence in that country the way he did in Zimbabwe.
It further states that in 2019, the Moti Group approached Chinondo with a plan to support a political party in Botswana in the hope of gaining commercial opportunities. In May 2019, Chinondo agreed to pay $1 million for 11 percent of Longway Solutions, a Moti Group Seychelles registered company.
According to the agreement, Longway had committed $9.4 million to Duma Boko’s Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) 2019 election campaign “in order to maximize certain commercial opportunities.”
Other Moti Group internal documents describe how Longway or its representatives would seek to “serve as Advisor to the Presidency for the duration of UDC Term”; be “appointed as the chief negotiator in the renewal process to engage with De Beers on behalf of the Government of Botswana”; “manage border control and security” with “10 year exclusivity”; and establish a “State Bank for inter alia payment of pensions. Botswana Government shall provide the initial capital funding of P1 billion.”