Tension continue to grow between Member of Parliament for Tlokweng, who is also Minister of Communications, Knowledge and Technology Thulaganyo Segokgo and some of his councillors.
Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) in Tlokweng Constituency last year faced bitter divisions due to a rift between area MP Segokgo against his councillors.
The tension between the minister and his councillors, dates back to as far as 2019 and is said to have escalated. It was fuelled by an alleged ploy by Segokgo to ensure that the councillors lose elections during the coming Bulela-Ditswe in preparations for the general election.
This week the MP is said to have clashed with the Tlokweng District Council Chairman who is also the BDP National Executive Committee (NYEC) Chairman Collen Mochotlhi. Mochotlhi is also councillor for Lenganeng Ward. The clash which happened in the BDP’s Tlokweng Branch WattsApp group was triggered by Mochotlhi’s failure to attend a Kgotla meeting in his Ward addressed by the MP.
It is alleged that Mochotlhi has expressed concern that the information at his disposal was that the said meeting had been postponed, only to learn that the meeting is going ahead. According to sources, Mochotlhi had at that time made arrangements for another official engagement in Letlhakeng.
After the clash in the WattsApp group, Segokgo expressed concern during a Kgotla meeting this week that there was no plot to sabotage Mochotlhi to attend the meeting. He said there must have been a misunderstanding. The minister told the Kgotla meeting that those who were to attend the meeting were also officially informed through writing.
“There is an issue that I have seen on social media. I want that issue to be clarified. I don’t know if you are seized with the matter or not. But I will ask Boikhutso Pilane, the Senior Administrative Officer at Parliamentary office.
“Usually I do not follow such things on social media. I would like him to clarify something because as you can see the area councillor is not here but his reasons are that he did not know about the meeting,” Segokgo told the Kgotla meeting.
According to Pilane, the minister communicated his intentions to hold kgotla meetings in the constituency. He said a savingram was issued to various government departments on the 9th of January 2024.
Pilane stated that the kgotla meetings started on the 15th January 2024.
“Which means the letters were dispatched in time and everyone got their letters. I believe that council chairman saw the invitation letter well in time because he has been attending other meetings. The invitation specified that the dates and venues of the kgotla meetings,” Pilane said.
These revelations annoyed some of the BDP members in the constituency who believe that this is a direct attack on the council chairman. Some of those who attended the meeting murmured that the MP and the Parliamentary officer should not have spoken at the Kgotla about an issue that was discussed in their political forum.
Contacted for comment, Mochotlhi said he is engaging the party’s internal structures on the matter as he believes as party deployees, the MP should not have made such a statement about him.
Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) in Tlokweng Constituency last year faced bitter divisions due to a rift between area MP Segokgo against his councillors.
The tension between the minister and his councillors, dates back to as far as 2019 and is said to have escalated. It was fuelled by an alleged ploy by Segokgo to ensure that the councillors lose elections during the coming Bulela-Ditswe in preparations for the general election.
This week the MP is said to have clashed with the Tlokweng District Council Chairman who is also the BDP National Executive Committee (NYEC) Chairman Collen Mochotlhi. Mochotlhi is also councillor for Lenganeng Ward. The clash which happened in the BDP’s Tlokweng Branch WattsApp group was triggered by Mochotlhi’s failure to attend a Kgotla meeting in his Ward addressed by the MP.
It is alleged that Mochotlhi has expressed concern that the information at his disposal was that the said meeting had been postponed, only to learn that the meeting is going ahead. According to sources, Mochotlhi had at that time made arrangements for another official engagement in Letlhakeng.
After the clash in the WattsApp group, Segokgo expressed concern during a Kgotla meeting this week that there was no plot to sabotage Mochotlhi to attend the meeting. He said there must have been a misunderstanding. The minister told the Kgotla meeting that those who were to attend the meeting were also officially informed through writing.
“There is an issue that I have seen on social media. I want that issue to be clarified. I don’t know if you are seized with the matter or not. But I will ask Boikhutso Pilane, the Senior Administrative Officer at Parliamentary office.
“Usually I do not follow such things on social media. I would like him to clarify something because as you can see the area councillor is not here but his reasons are that he did not know about the meeting,” Segokgo told the Kgotla meeting.
According to Pilane, the minister communicated his intentions to hold kgotla meetings in the constituency. He said a savingram was issued to various government departments on the 9th of January 2024.
Pilane stated that the kgotla meetings started on the 15th January 2024.
“Which means the letters were dispatched in time and everyone got their letters. I believe that council chairman saw the invitation letter well in time because he has been attending other meetings. The invitation specified that the dates and venues of the kgotla meetings,” Pilane said.
These revelations annoyed some of the BDP members in the constituency who believe that this is a direct attack on the council chairman. Some of those who attended the meeting murmured that the MP and the Parliamentary officer should not have spoken at the Kgotla about an issue that was discussed in their political forum.
Contacted for comment, Mochotlhi said he is engaging the party’s internal structures on the matter as he believes as party deployees, the MP should not have made such a statement about him.
