After Kang: Whither New Jerusalem?
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Monday April 8, 2019 18:00
The Monitor is reliably informed that Members of Parliament and others in support of Venson-Moitoi, dubbed New Jerusalem, have vowed to keep on fighting.
Following his victory after Venson-Moitoi withdrew from the race, Masisi moved to call for peace and proposed that the former contenders tour the country together to unite party members.
However, Venson-Moitoi’s team is in a fit of pique and is nowhere near ready to sit around the campfire, hold hands and sing Kumbaya with Masisi and his supporters.
On Friday, Venson-Moitoi had turned down a visitation request from Masisi to the New Jerusalem camp. Masisi had sent Peter Magosi, who was less spy chief and more his man, to New Jerusalem on Friday in Kang, to speak with Venson-Moitoi about the president addressing her supporters before the commencement of the congress.
The visit failed after her supporters did not guarantee security to the president. This left Masisi with no option, but to hurry past their sorry-looking camp.
“They [New Jerusalem] held a meeting on Friday and had talks on what could be their next move. They are particularly worried that some (Venson-Moitoi supporters) could be dropped from Cabinet and some suspended from the party,” a source said.
“They have since agreed that it was acceptable for Venson-Moitoi to meet with Masisi.
However, they instructed her not to make any decisions but to just listen to him.”
The team believes that after several summons to disciplinary hearings of their members, there is a high possibility that the party would persecute them.
They apparently said they would rather run as independents than sit back after their presidential candidate was forced out of the race unfairly. The team is of the view that the High Court ruled unfairly and wants Venson-Moitoi to appeal her case.
When addressing the media on Friday, Venson-Moitoi was mum on her next move. She only expressed shock that even the courts of law were entertaining the hanging question of her citizenship instead of addressing the case she filed.
Her lawyer, Dick Bayford told The Monitor that they were to meet over the issue to discuss whether they appeal the case or not. The Serowe South legislator would not comment on the issue of appealing her case stating that it was between lawyer and client.