Boko snubs Molapisi

*‘He does not take my calls nor respond to my messages’

*All is not well within the UDC leadership

The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) met on Tuesday in Gaborone minus the coalition’s president, Duma Boko. Ahead of the meeting, Head of Communications, Moeti Mohwasa had dismissed the meeting which was convened by the chairman, Motlatsi Molapisi as illegal adding that Boko would not attend it because he was not aware of it.

Meanwhile, Molapisi and the office secretary, Sibisibi, and the two convenors, Emang Maphanyane and Lebang Mpotokwane on the other hand, confirmed that Molapisi was in fact directed by UDC NEC to call the Tuesday 5th September meeting. But media reports say Molapisi had acted outside his powers when he directed the office secretary, Sibisisbi, to call the meeting. Not true, says Maphanyane in an interview: “The meeting which Molapisi has called for Tuesday was discussed at our last meeting on August 23rd where he was delegated by NEC to find a suitable date for the next meeting and then inform everybody else. Boko was there. It is not a unilateral decision by Molapisi.” Mpotokwane added: “It was at this meeting at my house at the Village township on August 23rd that Molapisi was authorised by us to call a meeting of the NEC as soon as possible.

He is acting on our instruction. This is a straight forward issue and there is no confusion at all.” For his part, Molapisi said that after deciding on the Tuesday 5th date, he tried several times to communicate with Boko by way of calling his number and “when he did not pick his phone, I sent him messages,” adding that, just because Boko had not communicated back to confirm his attendance did not mean that he would not come to the meeting. Molapisi also revealed that, besides him and Boko, the August 23rd meeting was attended by Gaolathe and Dr Cosmos Moenga. Although Boko has not attended the Tuesday meeting Molapisi said he has been mandated to report to him what transpired at the meeting.

“Thus far, I have made several calls and sent many text messages to try and make an appointment with him but he has neither picked his phone nor responded to my SMSes,” said Molapisi. He has however, not given up on locating his leader to brief him on what was discussed at the meeting.