Davids Tears BNF Apart, Torments Parley
Tefo Pheage | Monday September 19, 2016 16:24
The dispute at the Kgatleng East Member of Parliament’s office has now escalated to the Clerk of the National Assembly, Barbara Dithapo and the Speaker, Gladys Kokorwe.
The war emanates from a decision by the MP to fire his constituency office administrator, Peter Tau after a fallout in their working relationship. The complication is that the dismissed worker who continues to be paid by the government is a civil servant despite Davids saying he has fired him “because of his criminal record.”
Davids last month reported Tau at the Mochudi police station alleging that the latter had assaulted him at the office. Mochudi police station commander, Simon Sitale told the Monitor that he has “referred the matter to Parliament to deal with.”
The Botswana National Front (BNF) Mochudi East constituency recently petitioned the MP, accusing him of mishandling himself and misrepresenting the constituency by paralysing the constituency office to settle his personal scores. They took the petition to the district commissioner, Mompoloki Mochanang to take the petition to Dithapo.
Mochanang said he received the petition and took the matter to the National Assembly as requested. “I have of course received such a matter and have passed it on to the National Assembly,” he said.
The petitioners say they were worried that it is the party and the public that will emerge bruised from Davids’ conduct.
“We did this after failing several times to call the MP to order. He listens to no one if he is determined to do something. The office is in shambles, squabbles after another and it’s not good for an elder of his status. We needed to intervene because our investigations show that all what the MP is saying about his officers is pure fabrication and personal hatred,” said Solomon Letshwiti, the party’s constituency organising secretary.
Speaking for himself, Davids tore his BNF constituency apart: “Who the hell and f**k are they? That’s my office and those are my employees. I do as I please with it. They think they can tell me what to do and not. That guy I fired is a thief, a criminal, he was once imprisoned in South Africa; he has criminal records. It is further not true that my office is always locked,” he charged.
He continued that those who campaigned for him are liars, further adding that he will never listen to anybody who says he has to reinstate his administrator. He confirmed that the administrator continues to get his pay. “I don’t care; it is BDP money, they can waste it as they please. I have told the Speaker about it,” he said in conclusion.
It is understood that Tau has ignored Davids theatrics and has been coming to work everyday although staying outside the offices as Davids has locked his office.
It is also understood the Speaker has implored Davids to reconsider his decision because it is not easy as he thinks. Davids has however not relented. Repeated efforts to reach Kokorwe were futile at the time of going to press as her phone rang unanswered.