Masisi snatches another BCP activist
Chakalisa Dube | Thursday October 19, 2017 16:54
While Mooketsi, once a prominent BCP activist here, was yesterday not willing to discuss his reported BDP move, he is said to have ditched the BCP after allegedly falling out with Francistown West constituency chairman Gilbert Makombo.
Mmegi has it on good authority that Mooketsi’s ruling party membership was processed at the party headquarters in Gaborone on Monday after a weekend meeting with some of the party senior officials. BDP chairperson, Masisi is expected to officially welcome him on Sunday.
At the 2014 general elections, at Botsalano Mooketsi attracted 510 voters pipped by Zibani Benfield of the BDP who won with 653 votes. Jonathan Thembo of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) came a distant third with 238 votes.
Mooketsi is said to have accused Makombo of de-campaigning and speaking ill of him.
He also accused Makombo of belittling him. In fact, Makombo was alleged to have, when recruiting one BDP activist to challenge Mooketsi at the upcoming BCP primaries, used belittling words on Mooketsi.
In a taped conversation, purportedly between Makombo and the BDP operative (name known to this publication), the former is overheard saying that Mooketsi cannot win the ward because he is broke.
In the tape, Makombo is also overheard saying voters do not want Mooketsi to represent the BCP at the primaries. But yesterday, Makombo denied any rift between him and Mooketsi when confronted. “Even those who say that I often speak ill of him are not telling the truth. They just want to create an unnecessary rift between Mooketsi and me.
He once confronted me about the issue, and we resolved it amicably. To the best of my knowledge, we are in good terms,” Makombo said. Makombo added that Mooketsi had been “conducting several party activities well in recent weeks and there was no indication that he is unhappy”. However, Mooketsi yesterday confirmed that he quit the party because of a broken relationship with some of his party colleagues he did not mention, in Francistown West.
“I do not have a problem with the party recruiting people to contest against me, but I want the process to be done in a fair manner.
I find it inappropriate for people to speak ill about me when recruiting members to the party. That is the main reason I left the BCP,” he said. Asked if it is true he has joined the ruling party, Mooketsi said, “All I can say is that I have been talking to some BDP officials since they became aware that I am unhappy at BCP”.
BDP Francistown region chairperson, Baemedi Medupi said that he has been unofficially told that Mooketsi has joined the party. “I also received written communication that the VP (Masisi) will be in Francistown over the weekend. I think he will be here to welcome him (Mooketsi),” Medupi said.