Oliver Modise
3 December 2008
The internal feuding in the Botswana National Front (BNF) has shifted to Parliament.
BNF secretary general Mohammad Khan has reportedly written to the Speaker, Patrick Balopi directing that Lobatse MP, Nehemiah Modubule should not sit with BNF legislators.
Modubule was expelled from the BNF with party ideologue Dr Elmon Tafa for gross indiscipline. It is understood that the party leadership want the sitting arrangement in Parliament changed to show that Modubule is no longer in the BNF. The MP said he received a copy of a letter from the Speaker, responding to Khan's letter but refused to go into details. He referred Mmegi's inquiries to opposition whip Robert Molefhabangwe.
In Parliament, Modubule occupies the opposition front row bench with Molefhabangwe of Gaborone West South and Omphitlhetse Maswabi of Kanye South. Speaking in his capacity as the opposition whip, Molefhabangwe castigated Khan for writing to Parliament over the Modubule issue. He said that under the parliamentary Standing Orders, nobody outside the House can write to the Speaker and direct him to remove an MP from his sitting position. "This is an insult to Parliament and it is illegal," said Molefhabangwe. He added that Parliament is not bound by the contents of Khan's letter.
"There is no way Parliament can act on the basis of Khan's letter," he emphasised. He said that the BNF secretary general had overstepped his powers. He said that Modubule was a popularly elected MP who can only be removed from Parliament by the people who elected him. Molefhabangwe stated that he discussed what Modubule's expulsion portends at a meeting with the Leader of the House and cabinet minister Lesego Motsumi, Balopi and his deputy Thebe Mogami before Khan authored the letter to Parliament.
He said that Modubule cannot be removed from his seat unless he has offended Parliament or when he (Modubule) has written a letter to the Speaker stating that he no longer wanted to sit next to BNF MPs. Although Khan was not available for comment, the BNF's publicity secretary Moeti Mohwasa played down the issue. He denied that the letter is a directive to Parliament. Mohwasa said that the purpose of the letter was to inform Parliament that Modubule was no longer a BNF MP. He said the BNF wanted to give Parliament a basis upon which to act.By the time of going to press Mmegi had failed to solicit a comment from Balopi's office, as he was not available. It is understood that Balopi has responded to Khan.
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