Ryder Gabathuse
2 December 2008
Tonota — Tonota South Legislator Pono Moatlhodi will next weekend be given a hero's welcome in the Tonota South constituency, campaign manager Bontle Kgokong said on Saturday.
After confusion that was created by the BDP Central Committee's recall of Moatlhodi from running for the 2009 general election on the party ticket because of his involvement in the acts of "indiscipline", the party has since rescinded its decision of November 3.
The news of Moatlhodi's recall was announced by BDP secretary general Jacob Nkate, who was in a powerful delegation comprising party chairman Daniel Kwelagobe, Appeal Committee chairman Isaac Seloko and executive secretary, Dr Comma Serema.
"This is good news for this constituency and I am elated about it. Bakhurutshe here in Tonota are excited as well at the news of the party CC's change of heart," declared the excited Kgokong in an interview. She pointed out that she will soon mount a public address system and break the news to the constituents, who had been eagerly awaiting the announcement.
"We are going to give the MP a hero's welcome because that is what he deserves from his constituents. If he was doubtful of our support, now is the time to prove our commitment to him and the party," said Kgokong.
A fortnight ago, the BDP Tonota South constituents found themselves at loggerheads with the party top brass, querying the recall of their MP. Generally, the feeling was that the party leadership took its decision without proper consultation. Nkate had listed Moatlhodi's acts of 'indiscipline':
"Beginning of the year, we received reports about instability in your area generally caused by your MP and others here. Moatlhodi was later vetted out by the branch committee but the CC later overrode such decision." But what broke the camel's back was an issue in which Moatlhodi defied the party caucus by staying away from it and speaking more than the agreed 10 minutes in response to President Ian Khama's state of the nation address recently.
Moatlhodi was also accused of condemning the government of militarising the public service. Although the BDP leadership found fault with this, the constituents insisted their man was not wrong.
In the next few days, Kgokong said her duty will be basically to sell the idea of 'honouring' the MP on his arrival in Tonota next weekend. "We know that he will not be here with us this very weekend because of other commitments, but come next weekend we want him here," she gestured energetically.
"Our aim is to retain this constituency in the next general election and we can only do so if we are all going to work together. But, given Moatlhodi's overwhelming support in the area, I have no doubt that he will bounce back," she said, oozing optimism.
She said that as the opposition was already sampling its chances at the prospect of the party leadership remaining steadfast on seeing Moatlhodi out of the area, "we now have the task of assuring the constituents that Moatlhodi is still our man".
She said that women should come and ululate, and men should sharpen their voices with their poems and whistle in welcoming the MP. "We want to frustrate the opposition parties because after all, they are too opportunistic and they forget that the BDP always moves very fast to correct any worrying situations," she said and added that the constituency started celebrating the party decision last Friday.
Her party colleague, Pinkie Mothabi who stood for the council primary elections and lost to Modisaotsile Pule in the Tonota South East ward, could not hide her excitement either. "I am also waiting for the MP's arrival so that we can start the campaigns for the 2009 general election in earnest. Although I was initially pained by the MP's recall, now with the latest developments I am looking forward with much enthusiasm to help the party recapture this area," she said.
Obusitswe Ntsima, the retired senior assistant commissioner in the prisons department, who also contested the parliamentary primaries and lost to Moatlhodi, agrees with the Central Committee's decision to rescind its earlier decision. "When the CC speaks, we have to embrace its decision because that is our leadership.
The decision even shows that our top party leadership is visionary and has employed positive conflict resolution mechanisms geared at cementing relations within the BDP," said Ntsima.
She said the decision was made in the best interests of the party and not in the best interests of any individual.
Andrew Abotseng, a 62-year-old former human resources manager at the Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC) and BDP activist in the area, said that when the BDP leadership came to address the villagers at the Panorama Hall on November 11, people generally had mixed feelings about the leadership's decision. "It has always been my stand that our MP had erred in so far as what the party had listed against him when they addressed us was concerned.
It was, therefore, good that the constituents prayed that he be forgiven as it has been done. But everyone must appreciate that the party has regulations guiding all of us," said Abotseng.
He acknowledged that already the whole constituency was worried that the political hullaballoo around the Moatlhodi saga "had the potential of robbing us of an obvious win". As Mmegi toured Tonota last Saturday, it became apparent that the man commands much respect among his constituents.
At the Shashe River Secondary School, where he had pledged cows twice, first on the occasion of the school's last Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education good performance, after attaining second positioned nationally and lately he pledged a cow for the 40th anniversary, he is very popular.
Some teachers expressed appreciation for the development taking place as a result of Moatlhodi's efforts. Around the village's shopping complexes, the Moatlhodi saga is on everyone's lips.
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