Shima Monageng is urging the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) and the Botswana National Front (BNF) to take timely action against individuals who cause confusion by campaigning for elections even though they were not chosen by the coalition to run for office.
According to Monageng, the Alliance for Progressives (AP) did not arrive late to the negotiation table and therefore the argument used by disgruntled members of the coalition who claim that AP came to the negotiation table late and took their votes, is not valid.
He said that if indeed the AP was late to the negotiation table the UDC would have not allowed them into the coalition. Moreover, the AP negotiated in good faith. Monageng who is running for parliamentary office under the UDC has a bone to pick with Dr Tlamelo Mmatli who is also campaigning for the same post.
Monageng urged all members of the UDC to be disciplined and to listen to what the leadership of the coalition has decided as the results of eight months of negotiations gave birth to the allocated constituencies.
Monageng is equally shocked at Mmatli’s behaviour as he should know better. He explained that Mmatli came from the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) in 2014 and because of the negotiations, had other people make way for him even though he was not well known nor had he covered a lot of groundwork.
Monageng is surprised that since it is his time to make way for others as per negotiations, Mmatli refuses and wants to confuse the voters.
He is certain that Mmatli is charting a route to contesting as an independent candidate since UDC elders had listened to their issue and ruled that Monageng should run as candidate for Molepolole South under the banner of UDC.
Monageng admits that the double candidacy issue is dirty and disappointing, as it was never the intention of the UDC to confuse the electorate.
Monageng points a finger at the leadership of the UDC and BNF for being slow to act on the issue noting that Mmatli has been on his campaign trail for four months now, putting up posters even as far as villages neighbouring Molepolole.
Monageng said that people are confusing the electorate as they may have been promised monies or certain positions and the sad thing is that they are not being silenced. “Mmatli is ruining our chances of winning,” he said, adding that in the constituency people are hungry for change as the Molepolole South Member of Parliament is out of touch with the people of his constituency.
However, Monageng observed that people are accepting the UDC despite the little harm that Mmatli is causing. Monageng is appealing to Mmatli’s intellect to stop the defiance path he is on before he is punished by the UDC.
“Mmatli is just being a joke,” Monageng accused, saying that the UDC president Duma Boko will be the one who will sign for him to run for office. He said that the structure of the BNF in Molepolole wrote to the BNF and the AP central committee wrote to the UDC and BNF about the issue at hand.
“I will face him as Mokoko,” Monageng said, adding that he does not mind facing Mmatli as an independent candidate. Dr Mmatli on numerous occasions when this publication sought to speak to him on the matter asked that he be excused as he was under pressure to complete his work related tasks. At press time he had not yet responded.
According to Monageng, the Alliance for Progressives (AP) did not arrive late to the negotiation table and therefore the argument used by disgruntled members of the coalition who claim that AP came to the negotiation table late and took their votes, is not valid.
He said that if indeed the AP was late to the negotiation table the UDC would have not allowed them into the coalition. Moreover, the AP negotiated in good faith. Monageng who is running for parliamentary office under the UDC has a bone to pick with Dr Tlamelo Mmatli who is also campaigning for the same post.
Monageng urged all members of the UDC to be disciplined and to listen to what the leadership of the coalition has decided as the results of eight months of negotiations gave birth to the allocated constituencies.
Monageng is equally shocked at Mmatli’s behaviour as he should know better. He explained that Mmatli came from the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) in 2014 and because of the negotiations, had other people make way for him even though he was not well known nor had he covered a lot of groundwork.
Monageng is surprised that since it is his time to make way for others as per negotiations, Mmatli refuses and wants to confuse the voters.
He is certain that Mmatli is charting a route to contesting as an independent candidate since UDC elders had listened to their issue and ruled that Monageng should run as candidate for Molepolole South under the banner of UDC.
Monageng admits that the double candidacy issue is dirty and disappointing, as it was never the intention of the UDC to confuse the electorate.
Monageng points a finger at the leadership of the UDC and BNF for being slow to act on the issue noting that Mmatli has been on his campaign trail for four months now, putting up posters even as far as villages neighbouring Molepolole.
Monageng said that people are confusing the electorate as they may have been promised monies or certain positions and the sad thing is that they are not being silenced. “Mmatli is ruining our chances of winning,” he said, adding that in the constituency people are hungry for change as the Molepolole South Member of Parliament is out of touch with the people of his constituency.
However, Monageng observed that people are accepting the UDC despite the little harm that Mmatli is causing. Monageng is appealing to Mmatli’s intellect to stop the defiance path he is on before he is punished by the UDC.
“Mmatli is just being a joke,” Monageng accused, saying that the UDC president Duma Boko will be the one who will sign for him to run for office. He said that the structure of the BNF in Molepolole wrote to the BNF and the AP central committee wrote to the UDC and BNF about the issue at hand.
“I will face him as Mokoko,” Monageng said, adding that he does not mind facing Mmatli as an independent candidate. Dr Mmatli on numerous occasions when this publication sought to speak to him on the matter asked that he be excused as he was under pressure to complete his work related tasks. At press time he had not yet responded.
