Bogus, discredited MCDC invades Francistown South
Ryder Gabathuse | Thursday May 19, 2016 11:20
The low-income location of Monarch is the heartbeat of the Francistown West constituency and it is where Tuelo grew up mentored by Moswaane himself. If Moswaane is the commander-in-chief of the Francistown South or Monarch battalion, Tuelo is the second-in-command. He is the most trusted of the party functionaries under the watchful eye of Moswaane.
Tuelo, a nominated councillor in the Francistown City Council (FCC), is a pioneer in the controversial Monarch Community Development Centre (MCDC), which is purely the brainchild of the maverick politician, Moswaane.
On paper, MCDC is a company registered to assist unemployed youth access financial assistance from government such as youth development fund, Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA) regardless of their political affiliation and gain access to poverty eradication schemes. Member of Parliament for Francistown West, Moswaane, is the managing director of the MCDC.
In reality, MCDC will enhance Tuelo’s visibility and engrave his name in the hearts of the constituents as he has vowed that he will be all out to help the targeted group of people achieve their needs. But his move is not without controversy as his movements have already been placed on the party branch’s radar.
Moswaane explained this week that Tuelo will coordinate the MCDC office called Formula Two.
Officially, Tuelo has relocated to Block-Four so that he can run the Francistown South office and has the wherewithal to coordinate a business of this magnitude.
When the Mmegi news crew visited the office Monday this week, the lounge of the house had been turned into an office whilst the other rooms are now lodgings.
Tuelo, an ICT graduate from Botho University confirmed that the new house is now his permanent place of abode as he will be focusing on assisting the youth of Francistown South.
He also described MCDC as a non-governmental organisation founded purely on the desire to help the youth out of their predicament without pay.
It emerged during the recent Phillip Matante-East by-election that Francistown South is battered by youth unemployment and the opposition Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), used this to their benefit.
It goes without saying therefore, that the ambitious Tuelo and his team want to make hay while the sun shines because he is eyeing the bigger picture, which is to contest for a parliamentary seat at the right time with something to show here.
Their mission is to create goodwill that could win them the hearts and minds of the Francistown South constituents. Contesting for a political office with nothing to show can be akin to climbing a greasy political pole in the current political landscape where the electorates also exercise their rights to making a good choice.
A striking contradiction however was that at both the Monarch and Block-Four offices, volunteers are mainly Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) functionaries, a fact that Tuelo could not deny.
Moswaane is a master strategist who gets what he wants most of the time, but he seems to have a ‘phobia’ for a challenge within the party.
In the last general elections, he is alleged to have convinced one of the serious challengers for the BDP ticket in Bulela Ditswe primaries; Sylvia Muzila to relocate to Francistown South where she could comfortably become the party candidate.
Ahead of the 2018 BDP primaries, Tuelo has permanently relocated to Francistown South, an area that his supporters are adamant he is eyeing to lead. Moswaane is the generous helper who ensured that Tuelo moved out smoothly leaving him in control.
Tuelo’s move is not a coincidence by any means, but a strategy to ensure that he is deeply embedded in the party structures and most importantly invest in the youth who will pay back during the party primaries and the general elections.
Tuelo still denies that through MCDC they are trying to trap the constituency youth so that they become his immediate support base.
“If it happens, it will purely be out of their appreciation as there is no condition that they should pay back,” was a well thought out answer by Tuelo. He also explained that at the right time, he will evaluate if it is really prudent for him to contest the parliamentary seat.
“If I am convinced that it can work out for me and my supporters when the party calls out for that I may try my luck. It should be understood that I am not suggesting that my relocation is a political move to position myself as some may think,” he said.
In 2013, the ruling BDP led by the MCDC with Moswaane and Tuelo in the lead petitioned acting President Ponatshego Kedikilwe to intervene in a matter where they wanted Moswaane to be allowed to contest the Francistown West by-election following the death of former MP Tshelang Masisi.
Then, Moswaane was frustrated by a court interdict instituted by Whyte Marobela who had challenged the BDP primaries which he believed were flawed, thereby preventing the BDP and Moswaane from contesting the by-election until the party had heard him.
MCDC led a bogus and discredited petition that submitted forged signatures of people and their identities including the signature of a dead politician, Tolani Poiso of the Botswana Peoples Party (BPP). Although the petition postponed the parliamentary by-election it would later become the subject of police investigations but unfortunately the police are yet to take anyone to court to answer to charges of fraud.
To its credit, the ‘tried and tested’ MCDC is reportedly helping combat youth voter apathy. In the words of both Moswaane and Tuelo, youth find reason now to partake in political decisions like voting, as some of them are part of major decision-making processes.
As for Moswaane, he enjoys total protection from the Monarch youth as seen in a recent incident at a party meeting in Block-Four during a physical altercation, that culminated with branch chairman Ford Moiteela punching him.
Moswaane’s youth brigade reportedly acted swiftly in vengeance against Moiteela, who received a few punches for embarrassing their boss.
The opening of the office has set tongues wagging in the constituency and the BDP branch is dealing with the concerns of the people.
“The branch is fully aware of the opening of the MCDC office and at our recent meeting some people raised their concerns but we are yet to find out the motive for opening such an office,” said Francistown branch secretary, Modiri Lucas.
The BDP Francistown South branch will amongst other things scrutinise the nature of business undertaken and satisfy itself that the office is not set for political gain as it will disadvantage other interested parties.
It is public knowledge that Tuelo has interest in contesting the BDP ticket come 2018 party primaries.