Oarabile Mosikare
9 April 2008
Francistown — Embattled Botswana National Front (BNF) president and Leader of Opposition Otsweletse Moupo is facing divorce from his wife Grace, Mmegi has learnt.
Grace has instituted divorce proceedings against Moupo at the High Court in Francistown. The politician was served with the summons personally on February 11, 2008. He has not entered a defence. Sources close to the couple reveal that Moupo's personal problems are at the centre of the divorce. The couple is married in community of property and the Moupo family house in Selebi-Phikwe, bought by the wife through a loan from the First National Bank was attached when her husband's property was put under the hammer.
In Grace's writ of summons she prays for decree nisi for divorce and custody of a minor child of the marriage. She wants division of the joint estate, costs of suit and any further and or alternative relief. She is represented by Phadzha Kgalemang. The divorce proceeding against Moupo is another major blow to the beleaguered leader of the opposition's already suffering public image. In 2004 Moupo's law firm failed to disburse P150,000 political funds entrusted to it. His law firm Moupo Motswagole and Dingake was once removed from the roll of practicing attorneys for failure to comply with the law.
Apart from getting stranded in London in 2006 he also failed to respond to former president Festus Mogae's November 2006 State of the Nation Address to the disappointment of the party followers. This year he lost Gaborone West North's BNF primary elections to his comrade Maemo Isaac Bantsi. Moupo failed to respond verbally to this year's budget's speech.
Yesterday, he said that he could not talk about the divorce because it is a personal matter. "How can you ask me about that? I cannot comment on a personal matter. You are so brave!," he said.
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