Sebetela quits as Palapye MP

GIDEON NKALA
Staff Writer | Thursday November 8, 2007 00:00

 

Yesterday, the former cabinet minister declined to confirm or deny whether he is resigning. 'I would not confirm nor deny,' he told Mmegi. Presidential spokesperson Jeff Ramsay said he would not want to comment on reports about Sebetela's resignation.

However, he confirmed the Palapye Kgotla meeting and said Mogae would use the forum to make some announcements and share information with the Palapye community.

Mmegi: 'What announcements will the President make?
Ramsay: 'You will have to come to the meeting and hear what he has to say.'

Though Ramsay and Sebetela are economical with information, the situation on the ground indicates that members of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) in Palapye have long known that their MP is resigning. To the BDP in Palapye, Sebetela's resignation is a public secret. In fact, the topical issue in Palapye is no longer the resignation of their MP but his replacement.

The villagers even mention casually that Sebetela would take a high-paying engineering job with Debswana. The MP refused to confirm nor deny this.

Newly appointed Debswana communications chief, Esther Kanaimba, said she was in the dark about Sebetela's impending move to the mining giant.

'We have not been informed of that development,' she said.
However, a BDP MP has confirmed to Mmegi that Sebetela is going to Debswana, his former employers.

At one point he informed Parliament during deliberations on salary increases of MPs that as a consultant, he used to fetch monthly perks of up to P60,000.

While the outspoken MP would not want to discuss the motive, behind his alleged move it is well documented that he has not been in good books with the current BDP leadership.

He has publicly denied there is a rift between him and Vice President Ian Khama who is expected to assume ultimate power next April. Many say Khama is the source of Sebetela's dwindling political fortunes including his departure from the cabinet. Reports say that after the 2004 general elections, the MP was informed that he had been re-appointed to cabinet in the morning. But the decision was annulled a few minutes before the announcement could be made public on Radio Botswana's lunch bulletin. BDP insiders say this was Khama's doing.

Ever since he was left out from cabinet, Sebetela has been a live-wire in the back-bench much to the annoyance of the front bench. At one point, he and other MPs have been hauled before the party's disciplinary committee to justify why they are hell-bent on 'embarrasing the BDP government'.

Sebetela joined Parliament in 1998 when the then Vice-President and Palapye MP, Mogae, ascended to the presidency to succeed the retiring Sir Ketumile Masire. Sebetela won the party primary and the subsequent by-election. He triumphed in two successive general elections in 1999 and 2004. Reports say that Sebetela's imminent departure has fuelled the race of succession.In the BDP, the race would see  Health Minister Professor Sheila Tlou and Master Goya slug it out. In the opposition ranks, James Olesitse and Comfort Molosiwa are likely to slug it out for the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) ticket. The Botswana National Front might field Gabotsoswe Lebitsa in the by-election.