Opposition bashes BDP in Tlokweng
The latest entrant in the Tlokweng Constituency parliamentary by-election, former Specially-Elected Member of Parliament (MP) Shirley Segokgo, is a bosom friend of President Ian Khama, says former ruling party MPs Pono Moatlhodi and Wynter Mmolotsi.
The two politicians are convinced Segokgo’s surprise entrance into the race has all the hallmarks of an Ian Khama class act. They told multitudes at Sunday’s Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) rally in Tlokweng that the president is not incapable of planning the unfolding drama that now sees Shirley, a well-known Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) cadre and a close friend of Khama’s, enter the contest as an Independent Candidate.
The rally, meant to sell UDC candidate Masego Segokgo to the Tlokweng constituency electorate, turned out to be more of a bashing of president Khama and his party, his policies, programmes and leadership style - with speakers telling voters that voting in the BDP’s candidate Elijah Katse to go and add to the ruling party numbers in Parliament was tantamount to showing contentment with the way their country is run.
“Finally, after the lengthy delay, Khama got to issue the writ which will now see us cast our votes on May 13. But we are aware he issued the writ when he did not really want to. He was reluctant because he is not happy with Katse’s candidacy.
“All the while, he was still negotiating with Shirley to stand so that democrats in Tlokweng would find an alternative in her than Katse whom he dislikes,” Mmolotsi revealed, adding that when on Saturday Khama did the house-to-house campaign walkabouts in Tlokweng, he was just hoodwinking the electorate to think he is in Katse’s corner.
“He thinks we can’t see through it all. Those acquainted to Shirley know well that she loves Khama and that Khama loves her back. Remember the BDP luncheon here in Tlokweng when he went on and on about Shirley’s looks, saying her beauty is the kind that turns heads? There is no way Shirley could have announced her candidacy as an Independent without first discussing it with Khama,” he continued.
Earlier, both Moatlhodi and Botswana Congress Party’s (BCP) Taolo Lucas had concurred that Shirley’s candidacy was initiated and sponsored by Khama. Lucas also recalled that Khama had extolled Shirley’s beauty some years ago, the same woman the BDP leadership had sent to parliament as Specially Elected MP. “He delayed the writ because he was still angry that Katse won the BDP primaries, now just after he issues it, the lady whose beauty he glorified, announced her candidacy.
Isn’t it suspicious? I tell you, the BDP has fielded Katse while Khama has fielded Shirley. It is a divided party and we cannot allow ourselves to be beaten by a party in tatters,” Lucas said. The BCP politician denounced what he called Khama’s poverty-inducing programmes, saying they have all eaten into the country’s coffers but without offering any long-term economic benefits to the individuals who are even embarrassed to talk about them.
“Recently I heard of some beauties in Palapye who when asked where they work by their suitors, responded by saying ‘we work at Ips Company.’ The men initially believed this Ips Company to be one of the new Chinese-owned companies in Palapye. On further inquiry, it turned out that Ips is actually Ipelegeng. These poor people are ashamed to say they work at Ipelegeng, hence the new name, Ips,” Lucas said to raptures of laughter.
Another speaker, Margaret Nasha, implored the leadership of the UDC to ensure they have rewritten the country’s constitution within the first 100 days of attaining power, describing the current legal document as “a joke”. Other speakers included BMD’s Phenyo Butale and Ndaba Gaolathe as well as BPP’s Mbaakanyi Lenyatso and former BCP Parliamentary candidate in Tlokweng Jacob Zachariah. The constituency fell vacant when then MP, Same Bathobakae died last year.