Ian Khama Hits Back At Makgato And BDP
Bonte Seepi | Monday August 19, 2019 15:08
Speaking at the newly formed Botswana Patriotic Front’s (BPF) star rally in Mahalapye on Friday, Khama said he was happy that Makgato insulted him and his father.
He said that would make his job of convincing Batswana not to vote for the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) in the coming general elections a smooth sail, especially in the MP’s constituency.
Khama, who referred to Makgato as outgoing MP during his address, later on Saturday launched the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) candidate, Dr Kesitegile Gobotswang and said he expected voters to punish her accordingly for alleged insults.
Of recent, Makgato has been trending on social media on a video where she is accused of attacking founding president, Sir Seretse Khama.
In her remarks at a BDP rally in Chadibe recently, Makgato said, “ha e le gore rrago o ne a nwa bojalwa bo bo mmolaya, o seka wa ta ko go rona o bo o re therefore…” Many people concluded the statement was an attack on the late Sir Seretse Khama.
Makgato also said former president Khama has more regard for elephants than he did for the people of Botswana, saying that is why he sanitised his hands after greeting Batswana.
To that Khama said there was no truth in Makgato’s statement, as he liked everybody regardless of their race. He also indicated that he cannot hate white people, as her mother was a white.
He also said the fact that he did not go around donating blankets and other things to elephants as he did to Batswana was a clear indication that he liked people. However, he said it was also not wrong for him to care for animals.
“Members of BDP are the ones who do not like Batswana. That is why they always want to block me when I want to do good things for Batswana by denying me the help that I should receive from government,” said Khama.
Khama accused Makgato of having been sent by the BDP leadership to insult him and his father as no action was taken against her after she uttered the words attacking her elders though some MPs such as Prince Maele, Biggie Butale, Guma Moyo amongst others were suspended from the party for some words they said which were said to be disturbing.
He said BDP president, Mokgweetsi Masisi went around the country telling Batswana that he loved him and wanted him back in the party while on the other hand he (Masisi) and his subordinates were always attacking him (Khama).
He accused members of the BDP of using him for 20 years as they begged him to quit his job at the Botswana Defence Force to rescue the party, which was drowning whilst he did not want to join politics and thereafter chasing him away from the same party.
“I am going to visit MP Tshekedi Khama’s constituents and tell them to inform their MP to quit BDP and join BPF and my job is going to be very easy because of what Makgato said about their Kgosikgolo,” Khama said.
“I had meant to visit them earlier, but now I see the need to wait a bit longer so that I give ma BDP enough time to stab themselves with their own knife because I know they are going to insult more people and I will have more reasons to give the people for Tshekedi to shift from the troubled party.”
Tshekedi, who is also (Ian) Khama’s brother, has been expected to defect from the BDP anytime to follow his brother who is now on the same side with opposition parties but he has not yet done so.
Ian Khama, who is the patron of BPF, also took the masses who attended the rally by surprise when he told them that he was going to replace former spy chief, Isaac Kgosi’s dead cattle that were recently confiscated by the Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS) whilst he was said to be in Malaysia.
He said the government through the BURS was harassing Kgosi, his wife and cattle.For his part, BPF president, Butale said it was high time to remove the party of traitors and disrespectful people who insulted their elders and chiefs from leading the country.
He did not hesitate to make it clear that the main aim of the BPF was to remove Masisi and his allies from leadership so that Kgosikgolo can live in peace.
Meanwhile, he informed the masses that BPF will launch its detailed manifesto next month (September 7) in Francistown.
Mahalapye East BPF candidate, Lazarus Lekgoanyana who was launched alongside his councillors, also used the platform to seek for vote from the constituents.