Guma finally leaves troubled BPF
Sharon Mathala | Monday March 27, 2023 06:00
At the inception of the interview, Mmegi put it to Moyo that it seems he is always leaving, just like his famous expression, when it gets hot in the kitchen. But Moyo attempts to explain that he is not always on the move. Moyo previously left his assistant ministerial portfolio, and chairmanship of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) central committee. Subsequently, he left the BDP on his own in 2010 to form the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) and returned to the ruling party two years later. He left the party again in 2019 and eventually the country the following year. He then joined the BPF which he resigned from this week. Giving an account of the times he has left each organisation, Moyo reveals that in most cases he was pushed out. He mentions the time he left Cabinet saying he was pushed out after he refused to appoint one Dr Thapelo Matsheka as head of Botswana Development Corporation (BDC). He claims after he refused to do as instructed, he was quickly told of a Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) investigation against him and ordered to resign from Cabinet by the then president, Ian Khama. “When I maintained that I am not leaving, Khama still went on to announce that I had left,” Moyo claims. Turning to why he left BMD for BDP he says he left because there were power struggles within the BMD. “They were in-fightings that were just too deep, so I decided to leave and rather operate as an independent. The BDP and Khama then came to me and pleaded with me to return. Out of courtesy I felt that if I was going to resist, people back home would think there was some sinister motive and so I decided to go back, at least just to finish off my term,” he says. Moyo further claims that at the time there were some who were pretending to be siding with Gomolemo Motswaledi whilst in actual fact they were not.
Explaining why he left BDP chairmanship Moyo says he did not leave, but Khama and his associates arranged a coup against him. “The whole idea was that a motion of no confidence should be moved against me. (Shaw) Kgathi and (Vincent Seretse) VT tipped me to say that the caucus was up to something. The other thing was that the entire central committee was going to resign.” Moyo further claims there were sponsored articles in the media to the effect that he was sponsored by Zanu PF because he wanted presidency. “At that point in time I was doing work in Zimbabwe. They went and closed my accounts. I was put in a corner and so I decided to leave. I phoned Khama and handed in my resignation, I told him he did not have to go that far. I did not leave on my own volition.” Turning to why he left the country back in 2020, Moyo explains that at the time he had received reliable information from his friend, the late Panzirah { Matshome}, that there was “something bad” coming his way. According to Moyo he then made the ‘difficult’ decision to leave the country. Moyo however refuses to mention what exactly bad was coming his way. “One of the few people who were there for me during that time was Khama. Of course I had made my own network throughout the years,” he explains. Moyo tells this publication that whilst in South Africa he joined the BPF. “Before then Khama approached a couple of us to stand as independent candidates, but I proposed instead that we form a party. The process began and the late Panzirah led the formation of the party and the coordination,” he says. Moyo wants to stress that ‘Khama did not form BPF’.
According to Moyo at the time of formation of the BPF, another key political figure, Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi was supposed to lead the new party, but Khama blocked her way. “She had agreed. But then Khama said there should be election, he did not want Pelonomi (Venson-Moitoi). Khama then imposed that instead there should be elections, but because she (Venson-Moitoi) was from the BDP central committee heated election where she challenged President Mokgweetsi Masisi, she eventually decided otherwise. She did not want to go through the same noise,” Moyo further reveals. Moyo says of all the times it seemed he had left; it was because of circumstances. “I think my biggest problem is maybe I am too outspoken. I say it as it is and it lands me in trouble. Talking about me being sacked from Cabinet I was right, but I should have done it better. To say no to your boss, what do you think will happen,” Moyo continues. The flamboyant and controversial businessman says, “I think being too outspoken can build, but it can destroy you at the same time and that is my biggest weakness. I have a weakness of not pretending.” Asked why he remains a politician even though politics seemingly doesn’t favour him, Moyo says; “When we grew up, we knew politics to be about service. It is a sacrifice. When you get into politics one should not anticipate any financial gain, one should just be there to push the agenda of how society works.” Moyo further states that he believes that politicians should be financially stable before they could assume any office. He says this may limit any temptation for bribery and or corruption. “I entered politics when I was adequately fine by our standard. I had passed the million pula bracket. My assets were sufficient. I don’t remember, to be honest with you, ever using my salary on anything except for serving the people,” he says.
According to Moyo he learnt later in his political life that for one to go into political leadership, when one is not adequately resourced, is dangerous. “The day I became a Cabinet member, before I even arrived at the office, the invitations I got from business people and family members were overwhelming. All of them driven by greed, you can imagine if you don’t have a backbone, you are finished.” Moyo advises that politicians should be remunerated even after politics, “This is so they are not tempted do other things when they resume office.” Asked why controversy seems to always follow his name, Moyo answers, “If there is a politician who doesn’t have controversy, he is not a politician. Politics is conflicting ideas, politics is ideas and it is not all the time where people agree with you. If as a leader people always agree with you, then there is something seriously wrong.”