Raletobana escapes Khama's noose

LEKOPANYE MOOKETSI
Correspondent | Thursday April 8, 2010 00:00

Mmegi has been informed that Khama has pardoned the Kweneng East MP, Edward Raletobana, one of the Barata-Phathi faction members who attended a Mogoditshane meeting that discussed the possibility of forming a splinter party last month. 

Just before the Mogoditshane meeting the BDP issued a warning to the Barata-Phathi that they should not attend the proposed meeting.  The BDP leadership warned of dire consequences for members who attended the meeting. But members of the Barata-Phathi faction defied the party leadership, attending the meeting in large numbers. 

The MPs who attended the meeting included Raletobana, Tawana Moremi (Maun), Gilbert Mangole (Kgatleng West), Wynter Mmolotsi (Francistown South), Sam Guma Moyo (Tati East) and Botsalo Ntuane (Gaborone West South). The disciplinary committee has written warning letters to all the MPs who attended the Mogoditshane meeting except for Raletobana.

The secretary of the disciplinary committee, Lee Lesetedi, confirmed that they have written to the MPs to warn them about pending disciplinary action against them for attending the Mogoditshane meeting. 

Lesetedi said they have not served Moyo with the letter because they did not know where he was. Guma Moyo attended the parliamentary session yesterday afternoon.

Lesetedi said Raletobana has been exempted because Khama pardoned him. He said this came after the MP wrote a letter to Khama to apologise. Local newspapers revealed this week that Raletobana has been negotiating with the BDP central committee since the Mogoditshane meeting.  He held meetings with Khama without the blessing of the Barata-Phathi.  Raletobana claimed that he was pushing for reconciliation.  Raletobana is quoted in a previous edition of Mmegi as saying he would not apologise because he has done nothing wrong. 

'I have not done any wrong.  No one has, actually.  It was not a BDP meeting.  It's like when someone goes to attend a choir festival and then afterwards they are told to apologise,' he said, justifying their decision to attend the Mogoditshane meet.

When he was contacted last night, Raletobana denied apologising to Khama.  He said he wrote a letter to Khama calling for reconciliation between the two groups.  'I can even give you a copy of this letter.  I am trying to break a deadlock.  I am trying to create reconciliation between Barata-Phathi and the BDP leadership,' he said.

Raletobana said he prefers that when there is a conflict, they should sit around a table to seek a solution.

The Kweneng East MP said he has learnt that the central committee has also written to him.  The only reason he did not received a letter was because he was not in when they were delivered at Parliament.

Raletobana said he was still aligned to Barata-Phathi. During the Mogoditshane meeting, Barata-Phathi made a number of demands to the BDP president.

Raletobana said he took the peace initiative on his own because 'the BDP is my party'.  He said it does not need somebody from America to reconcile the two parties.

He revealed that Khama is also willing to negotiate. 'He is ready for us to discuss party matters,' he reports.

'I have not betrayed Barata-Phathi.  I am still their member.  I am just facilitating negotiations,' said Raletobana. But the BDP leadership rebuffed all the Barata-Phathi demands.  One of the demands was a call for the reinstatement of the central committee that was elected in Kanye last year.  Another call was for the reinstatement of the suspended secretary general, Gomolemo Motswaledi.

The BDP leadership also demanded that all the Barata-Phathi members who attended the Mogoditshane meeting should hand over their membership cards.  The party stated that failing to comply would mean that all those people would be regarded as party members who are expected to abide by the BDP regulations.

Former President, Sir Ketumile Masire, stepped into the picture, offering to mediate between the two groups.  Masire called on the Barata-Phathi to stop threatening that they would leave the party.  He also called on the BDP central committee to stall disciplinary action against Barata-Phathi.

But the BDP leadership would not buy Masire's peace moves.  Barata-Phathi were keen to negotiate and had even appointed a five-person delegation to represent them.