One But Two MPs Get Apology
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Tuesday November 9, 2021 06:00
This follows an impromptu kgotla meeting at the President's behest last week in which residents and government officials attended. With the MPs nowhere in sight at the 'important' meeting, this stood out like a sore thumb for attendees just as well as it did for the absent MPs.
While the MPs admit their offices had received Savingrams a day before the Tuesday's kgotla meeting that was addressed by President Mokgweetsi Masisi, they however claim they did not get their personalised invitations as it is the procedure. “As the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) MPs we could have attended that kgotla meeting if we were informed. The DC knows the procedure of inviting an MP. There is a difference between inviting an MP and their office. That Savingram was not inviting us but the MPs offices. "Again, the District Commissioner knew that MPs have been busy with their kgotla meetings and therefore there was a need for him to send an invitation earlier rather than the way he did. "I think he has a problem with us but, if so, he should say so.
It was important for us to attend that meeting,” BPF secretary-general and MP for Serowe West constituency, Tshekedi Khama said on Thursday. He added that the DC must know a way of communicating with people or addressing them. Khama said what shocked them was that the deputy DC wrote an apology letter to Serowe North constituency MP Baratiwa Mathoothe for not inviting him to the said meeting.
Mathoothe said he had received his invitation on Monday afternoon while the event was supposed to be on Tuesday morning. “My office received the invitation on Monday afternoon and they immediately called me while I was not in Serowe. I don’t understand why the office of the District Commissioner had decided to inform us late and that is why all the MPs are not happy. Again, the President’s kgotla meetings are not supposed to be a secret and Village Development Committees could have been invited too. Also, they could have discussed key development issues with MPs so that they present the issues as discussed.
The District Commissioner has failed to organise the meeting well because of reasons best known to him.
That is why he decided to instruct his deputy (Baikuedi Masole) to write us letters of apology,” Mathoothe said. He confirmed that the apology letter he received came from the office of the deputy district commissioner, which reads: “I hereby tender an apology for accordingly failing to inform you about the recent above mentioned kgotla meeting which was held in Serowe kgotla on November 02, 2021. It was an error of omission on my part.
I have hope for a continued cordial working relationship with your respective office”. Efforts to get a comment from Serowe South MP Leapetswe Lesedi were not successful as he is in Malawi for the PAN African Parliament. However, Khama said he and Lesedi are yet to receive their apology letters. Efforts to get a comment from the DC’s office were also not successful.