Why Sebetela Quit Palapye

GIDEON NKALA
Staff Writer | Monday November 12, 2007 00:00

 

Before Mogae could take his seat at the dais, politicians were working their cellphones and before long loud hailers were mounted on vans and the campaign for the Palapye by-election had started. 

At the end of the Kgotla meeting, the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) had announced an impromptu meeting on Friday afternoon. Elsewhere in the village, Botswana Congress Party (BCP) functionaries were telling people that there would be a by-election. 

On Friday evening and Saturday morning, the village had been transformed into a sonic battlefield between the BCP and BDP village criers who assaulted peace. The air was punctuated with political rally announcements and important emergency in-house meetings. 

From the comfort of their bedrooms, villagers were told why Sebetela had resigned. 'He ran away,' cackled a BCP official over the mike in the early hours of Saturday morning.

'Lo sea la outlaw Dikgang test did bowing test. Tang ko meeting Ma-Dome a matlenyana le tle go ikutlwela,' said a BDP announcer competing with the morning rooster.

At the Kgotla meeting on Friday, Mogae had told Palapye residents that Sebetela had resigned to rejoin Debswana Mining Company. Sebetela succeeded Mogae as Palapye MP in 1998. The President told a hushed Kgotla that the MP is not leaving in anger.

'We had discussed his departure. My assistant, Vice President Khama and I were consulted and (we) gave our blessings for his departure,' Mogae said. He stated that last year, Sebetela informed them that he feels he had served his time as an MP and he wanted to try his hand in other things. He said the MP asked them to help him find a job that would be commensurate with his qualifications.

'We agreed to help him get a job. Sometimes this year, he told us that he has identified a job that he was interested in and we gave him our blessings. The Debswana management also consulted us on his availability and we gave them the go-ahead. There was no fight,' explained Mogae. He said people should be excited that skilled Batswana are going into the management of such an important company as Debswana.

When Sebetela rose to speak, the stage had pretty much been set for him. It was as if he had been sharing notes with Mogae. To a large extent, he corroborated the President's narration.

'I had asked them to help me find a job in the SADC, AU, Botswana parastatals while I would look for opportunities in the private sector,' he said.

Sebetela must have known that there were perceptions that he had been pushed and he is not in good terms with Khama. He took time to debunk such notions with a straight face. He said his relationship with the BDP high command is very strong.

'When I decided to inform government of my intentions to leave, I first approached the Vice President. Don't believe a word of what you hear or read. There is nothing between me and the Vice President. I talk to SKI (Khama) at all times. On this issue, the Vice President has been my regular contact,' he said.

He said he could not deny that his relationship with government has been strained because there were times when he became naughty.

'Jaaka ngwana mongwe le mongwe le nna ke ne ke etle ke tlhoke tsebe,' Sebetela said gesticulating that every time he went over the rails, he was spanked.

It was possible that there could have been ambivalence on what the intended meaning of Sebetela's loaded statement was.

Having dispensed with the controversial issue of his resignation, he thanked the residents of Palapye for giving him the opportunity to represent them.

'I came here as a young man of 37 and I leave at 47,' he said. Many villagers stood to thank him and wish him well.

'Tautona o dirile setswana gore o tle o patlile moshimane yo Sebetela. Ka go tla gago o heditse ditshele le dipounyana tse di neng di le mo go rona,' said Palapye elder, Otaata Shashane.

The youth lamented what they called the end of an era with the departure of Sebetela.

'Rona re mmitsa SB (Sebetela),' said one. As an oblique criticism Sentsho Malatsi, a one time BNF parliamentary hopeful in Palapye, told Sebetela that he was very lucky that he had Mogae and Khama to job search for him.

'O lesego Sebetela. Le gale bye-bye.'

Even after Sebetela's explanation that he was not running away from any enemies, some were still not convinced. 'A ga se gore o a sia tota,' said Tlhalefang Modise who wanted to know whether Sebetela was not running away from Khama.

But Sebetela was adamant that he and the Vice President remain on good terms.