Disappointed Merafhe slams BDP MPs

LEKOPANYE MOOKETSI
Correspondent | Wednesday December 9, 2009 00:00

 

He berated some legislators for casting aspersions on others during the debate on the address delivered by President Ian Khama. He cited Mogoditshane legislator, Patrick Masimolole for slamming Khama's boot-lickers without naming names. 'We should not come here and behave as if we are angry with ourselves and the whole world.  My confidence in some of the members has been shaken.  Let us stop playing games,' he appealed.

He said talking in parables and calling each other names is very unfair. He criticised the BDP MP for Gaborone West South, Botsalo Ntuane, for saying he does not support the specially election of MPs. He said after serving for five years as a specially elected MP, Ntuane has suddenly discovered that the system is undemocratic.  He dismissed Ntuane's statement that if he had lost the elections, he would have not agreed to be a nominated MP again as absolutely superfluous. He added that Ntuane did not expect to be specially elected and this was why he was making such utterances. He dismissed those grumbling about the nomination of councillors, saying they would have nominated their cronies if given the chance.

He said that this year, Khama ordered that 50 percent of council nominations should be reserved for women and youth, while opposition should also be given slots in constituencies they won. He castigated BDP chairman and Molepolole South MP, Daniel Kwelagobe, saying that he talked in parables and castigated others in his debate. In a thinly reference to the veteran legislator, he said some MPs came to Parliament a long time back and are the architects of some of the laws they now want to distance themselves from.  'This cannot be fair,' he said.

To those who were calling for the President to be directly elected, Merafhe said as far as he was concerned, no system is absolutely perfect.  Merafhe who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for a long time, said Africa is full of many examples of direct presidential elections that resulted in bloodshed.

'I am talking from a position of authority.  If you want this country to be conflict-ridden, good luck to you,' he chided. He faulted BDP MP for bringing the suspension of former BDP secretary general, Gomolemo Motswaledi, to Parliament. He submitted that this is a BDP issue that has no place in Parliament.

He said people who are agitating for constitutional review are doing so because Motswaledi lost his case at the High Court and Court of Appeal. 'The motion is clear because the young man has lost his case in the High Court. 

There is no way we can tamper with the constitution depending on the mood of the day,' he said. He warned that he will not support a motion to amend the constitution under the current circumstances.

Merafhe said the popularity of Khama has been put to the test and Batswana have spoken loudly, 'Batswana have spoken and spoken loudly.'   He said Khama has a great passion for poverty alleviation.

 'He has convinced us as a man who cares for the welfare of this nation.'