Mathokgwane’s second coming

Innocent Selatlhwa | Monday July 3, 2023 06:00

He assures that he is back to active politics and states that he was forced by circumstances to quit his hard earned post.

How Mathokgwane displaced BDP

Narrating the events towards the 2014 General Election, Mathokgwane said he started off reluctant to contest and approached Kgosi Lotlamoreng to represent the UDC.

But Lotlamoreng insisted that Mathokgwane contest and he would consider it in the future. He said the reluctance was because he had a good paying job which he had to quit to focus on his campaign.

He said he knew Lotlamoreng was the only person who would definitely win the constituency. “When he declined, I decided to quit my job and went to Morolong and stayed there for more than a year.

I traversed that vast area and campaigned for the UDC. I literally stayed there even at cattle posts, Masimo, alongside a team of very dedicated people. We would go into households on a daily basis. I do not know how many times we repeatedly visited households,” he said. Mathokgwane said he swept clean his savings towards the campaigns as he gave it his all.

“My wife and family also contributed significantly to my campaign. In the opposition you normally have to source funds for yourself. A few friends and family helped with the campaign.

There is a friend who also had their resources at my disposal but does not want to be mentioned,” he said. After sharing his campaign journey, Mathokgwane said he remains traumatised after being one of the first to see Gomolemo Motswaledi shortly after he died. “Gomolemo Motswaledi, one of our UDC leaders died in our constituency.

I think I was one of the first people to see his bloody body at the mortuary. We had an altercation with the police that time. His death really affected me psychologically. Almost every time I pass there, I stop and remember Motswaledi. He was one of the best politicians to ever come out of Botswana and he left a mark in my own life as an individual,” he said.

Mathokgwane said Motswaledi’s death was the beginning of it as he would then defeat Kitso Mokaila, whom he believes the then President, Ian Khama had earmarked for Vice Presidency.

He said his win hurt the BDP badly while some senior BDP members had encouraged him to defeat Mokaila. “I won a constituency which was under the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) since 1966. I became their Achilles Heel because I turned the tables”, he said. Mathokgwane thanked his friend Sadique Kebonang who was a BDP Cabinet member for warning him of the dangers he faced hence he quit Parliament. “As a legislator, civil servants trusted me. They gave information about corruption and maladministration in government institutions. I had something on a lot of the then Cabinet members (names withheld) and I think one of the things that broke the camel's back at that time were two things. There was the Tokafala Programme through which I realised government was stashing a lot of money in bank accounts in the USA. I had all the information about the banks, streets and how much was in there. The then Minister was Vincent Seretse. I took him on that. They started wondering where I got all that information,” he said. He said the other thing was about facilities built at Khama’s place at Mosu. He said he questioned about connections of water and electricity at the place. “When I posed that question to (Eric) Molale, I think it broke the camel’s back. They wondered where I got the information and seemed so confident about it. My friend Kebonang would then come warn me to be careful because they could kill me because they were afraid I had a lot on them,” he said. Mathokgwane said he never thought the BDP could stoop so low to connect him to the death of a young girl who was his neighbour. He said Kebonang told him that some three ministers were tasked with making sure that he fell. “I took it lightly until the mother to the girl was detained and asked to implicate me. She was promised to be built a house and given money. But she refused despite the fact that she was even kept behind bars for some days,” he said. Mathokgwane said family members of the girl also assured him that there was no issue against him, rather he was the one being targeted. He said a senior police official called him and told him that they were instructed to investigate the death of the girl and make sure that he was implicated. “He told me they could not and the matter was referred to the Regional Police in Lobatse and they started harassing me. That thing nearly broke me down. I knew they would be persistent. I then went on to Duma Boko and told him I had a young family and told him I do not want to continue being made to suffer because of politics. I knew what they were capable of, he said.

“I told him I would not allow them to make me suffer again. I must be released, but I would not join the BDP but I wanted to go. Because of this thing, it had a burden on me, a burden on my family. Boko did not want me to leave, but he said I should not worry, but I was tired and went against his advice,” Mathokgwane said. Mathokgwane also said while all this happened, he was also looking for a job and made various applications. He said since they would discuss what the BDP discussed about him with Kebonang, he told him he would leave if he got a job offer. “He came back to me three weeks later and asked if I was serious about taking up a job offer.

I said I was dead serious and showed him a letter where I was invited for an interview. He told me he was aware of a job opening at SPEDU which fell under his ministry and said I should apply. I knew from that moment what he was up to. I responded to the same advert and I was invited for an interview after a few days. I was then offered a job but was sceptical on what this could be. I made sure my contract was water tight and demanded they removed probation clause and they agreed. I also said we should make none of us not to terminate within the first three years. Those were my conditions because I could not trust them,” he said.

Mathokgwane said when he ultimately took a decision to leave, it shook his relationship with his wife and family members who rallied behind him. He said they told him he would be on his own if he joined the BDP. He said the family of the late girl also confronted him and asked if he left because of the issue. “I looked at them and thought, if only they knew that I left because of that issue. But I then told them that it was due to ill health. They were disappointed I had to leave. That is the story,” he said. Mathokgwane said there was malice by the BDP when he resigned as the then National Assembly Speaker Gladys Kokorwe was ordered to announce the resignation immediately though he had asked her to wait until he had bid his voters farewell.

The return

Mathokgwane spent eight years at SPEDU. His initial contract was five years and he was given three years for the second term which he said he declined to renew so he could go back to politics. Though he is only returning actively now, Mathokgwane said he has been silently active supporting his party financially and in kind especially during the 2019 General Election. He felt he owes them because he disappointed them when he left. “They were disappointed and there were speculations. I knew I had to do something to assure them that I am a good member of the BNF and the UDC. I know that leaving SPEDU and coming here, people do not trust me within the movement even within the BNF leadership. But I am going into politics because it is my passion. You cannot take that away from me. It is part of my DNA. My blood is gold and black,” he said. Mathokgwane, who has never held any office within the BNF, said he is not after any position adding that he, however, will be ready to serve if they wish for him to do so. He emphasised that it was never his intention to be a leader. “As I go back to politics, I am a foot soldier. Given responsibility in a cell, ward or anywhere, I will apply my skills as a strategic thinker,” he said. On news that he was eyeing the Lobatse constituency, Mathokgwane said since Lobatse is his home and where he matured as a politician, where his children are, he moved his BNF membership to Lobatse, Tsopeng North. He fancies his chances. “If Lobatse people decide to give me an opportunity to stand, whether at council or Parliament level, I will oblige. There is no difficult constituency, Lobatse might be all BDP, Morolong was also all BDP but we made it. After working so hard. Lobatse is a small town and that constituency was vast. We just need a committed team. And also, Lobatse has been in the opposition before,” he said. He added that Lobatse was forgotten by BDP government.