Pheto heads to the UDC
Lekopanye Mooketsi | Wednesday January 7, 2015 14:49
Pheto quit the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) last year after losing in the primaries. He subsequently defended his Lentsweletau/Mmopane seat in the October general elections as an independent, losing to Vincent Seretse who is now Trade and Industry Minister.
Pheto told Mmegi that together with a group of losing councillors with whom he quit the ruling party, he had taken a decision to join the opposition bloc.
He said they took the decision to join the UDC immediately after the October general elections though they have always been in talks with the opposition alliance.
“I think they are going to welcome us in February. It is immaterial whether we join the Botswana Movement for Democracy or Botswana National Front because the two parties fall under UDC.”
The UDC’s third member is the Botswana People’s Party.
Pheto will become the second prominent BDP member to decamp to the opposition, following former Tonota legislator, Pono Moatlhodi. The former deputy Speaker joined the BNF after failing to secure nomination in the BDP primaries.
Pheto resigned from the BDP on the same day the party attempted and failed to suspend him, during a heated primary election battle. He refused to accept his primary election loss to Seretse and demanded a rerun, which the party dismissed.
He subsequently ran as an independent, garnering 3,120 votes to Seretse’s 7,170. Meanwhile, UDC spokesman, Moeti Mohwasa professed ignorance about Pheto’s planned move. He added that the former minister could be joining either of the UDC’s members, which would be negotiated at constituency level.