Mabiletsa hits out at Khama

TUMELO SETSHOGO
Correspondent | Friday November 16, 2007 00:00

 

'Khama doesn't have the time to attend parliamentary proceedings, he is just the vice president and coordinator of projects,' Mabiletsa said when contributing to Mogae's State of the Nation Address. He said as the coordinator of government projects, Khama did not at any point in time report to Parliament on progress. 'I want anyone, anyone who saw the report of the coordinator and I challenge them to show it to me,' the MP said. As Mabiletsa was on the warpath, some ruling party MPs and ministers walked out. Other read newspapers or bowed their heads down. 'Order, order, order, I am told we are not forming a quorum. I don't know what the whips are doing,' complained speaker of the National Assembly, Patrick Balopi 'Please call the honourable members into the house,' he said after the walkout caused a quorum hitch. After the hitch had been overcome, Mabiletsa continued his onslaught saying Khama is the first Vice President in Botswana not to hold a ministerial post. Immediately after Mogae delivered his opening speech last week, Mabiletsa said he took the dictionary to find out the meaning of word 'patriot'. He took the initiative because the president used the word to describe the Vice President.

Before reading out the meaning he said: 'Ga ke itse gore Mfa ke eng a fetogetse mafoko a gagwe a a buileng mo palamenteng gore go sego ba ba ko dikgolegelong le ba ba kwa mabitleng, jaanong o simolotse go boka'. Assistant Minister Olifant Mfa walked out of Parliament before Mabiletsa finished the sentence. The Kgatleng MP quipped thus: 'Let me also speak for the last time because I might be in jail'. 

Mabiletsa said that according to the dictionary a patriot is someone who loves his or her country and is willing to defend it. He added that Khama does not love Botswana as he failed to attend parliamentary debates for the development of the country and its people.

He said scholars have written and analysed that Khama is not fit to lead the country. He said Khama is quoted in 1998 saying that his interests are in management and that politics did not concern him. Mabiletsa said he knows nothing about the qualities and capabilities of the incoming president. He said many MPs understand Mogae and his capabilities because they debated with him in Parliament for many years, even when he was Vice President. 'I had the opportunity to sit with him in Parliament, took him to task when he was the Vice President, Finance Minister and Leader of the House,' he said.

Meanwhile, Mabiletsa thanked Mogae for the economical stability of the country and his fight against HIV/AIDS. He said there is improvement of infrastructure during Mogae's reign though he could have done better if he was not leading a capitalist state.