Ryder Gabathuse
2 December 2008
Francistown — Tonota South legislator Pono Moatlhodi, who may now run to retain the constituency after being pardoned last Friday, has vowed to prove his mettle by winning.
"Now I know that my main challenge is to prove to the party leadership and everybody else what I am capable of. It is my plan to ensure that the opposition is not given the slightest chance at all."
As expected of the man, whose penchant for criticism of his own party earned him the tag of 'maverick', Moatlhodi sounded emboldened by the pardon after being dropped from the running for saying his party was militarising the civil service.
And although the BDP top brass will not admit it, the dropping of the 'maverick' aroused a groundswell of support and sympathy for him and expressions of denunciation of what is seen as growing intolerance in within ruling party.
But his language was tempered with moderation: "It is only through God that I can continue appealing to the people to continue voting for me and the BDP in large numbers," the staunch member of the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa (UCCSA) said.
This is a far cry from the Moatlhodi who was reduced to tears after his uncle Joseph Montsho was turned away from a BDP meeting considering his nephew's fate on November 19.
A week before the party leadership visited Tonota, Moatlhodi had said his wife and children were also affected by its sanctioning of him. "I want to thank my wife and the whole family for their support as they stood by my side when I most needed them," he said in the aftermath.
"I also would like to thank the BDP Central Committee for having found it fit to change its mind after hearing the wishes of the people of Tonota South."
He said the leadership had not been pressurised to pardon him. Moatlhodi had pleaded to be forgiven for everything he had done that could have attracted the wrath of the party leadership. A deputation from Tonota also picked up the cudgels on his behalf.
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