Hunt for Masitara successor on
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Tuesday April 15, 2014 14:08
Following intense pressure from the party council candidates for legislator Masitara to be dropped as the constituency candidate in the general elections, the party is said to have tasked the team to seek a replacement, fast. But the party leadership insists the Member of Parliament has not been recalled or fired as earlier reported. But on the ground, Masitara’s opponents are strategising on who would best represent the ruling party in the October elections. Talk is that one of those who stood and lost against Masitara in the primaries be roped in as the BDP parliamentary candidate to battle it out with Duma Boko of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) and Anna Motlhagodi of the Botswana Congress Party (BCP). The losers in the December primaries were Robert Molefabangwe, Reverend Benny Steglin, Moffat Mophuthing and Eunice Mguni. Steglin who emerged second has since re-traced his steps to the BCP’s Moshupa constituency.
During a Sunday meeting that was held at Bosele Primary School, some councillors told the central committee delegation that they would not win the constituency under Masitara.
“Masitara has de-campaigned the party publicly in the constituency that he is expected to represent. “Masitara shares same sentiments with opposition parties that some members within the party are corrupt and they should be investigated,” said a source who attended the meeting. The anti-Masitara group is said to have even called for President Ian Khama to evoke the party’s constitutional provision, article 34:1.6 - allowing him to suspend any member of the party for up to 60 days on the grounds of such member’s behaviour pending action by the disciplinary committee - to act against the MP.
In 2008, Khama used those powers when he recalled and dropped Pono Moatlhodi’s candidacy in 2009 elections, but forgave him after Tonota South residents appealed for his pardon. Moatlhodi then, who resigned from the party yesterday, was recalled for questioning the militarisation of the Khama administration. In recent times Masitara had been advocating for ministers and MPs implicated in corruption to be investigated and charged. Early this month he was called for a meeting with some central committee and his council candidates over his utterances that he would expose fellow party members involved in corruption.
Now his opponents within want him out. In a letter signed by some BDP council candidates dated March 26, 2014, the central committee is asked to field a fresh candidate as a matter of urgency and the branch committee be dissolved. But it has since emerged that party members in the constituency are divided. His sympathisers feel accusations against their MP are a plot to bring him down.
Approached for comment, the BDP secretary general Mpho Balopi said consultations are still on-going.
“This issue is still internal and we have not yet taken any action against Masitara. We are consulting the constituents because some had complained of their MPs behaviour that he is de-campaigning the party,” Balopi said. As things stands, Balopi says BDP has not charged Masitara and party President Ian Khama had not written to Masitara concerning the matter.