Mothei survived a crucial test after the disciplinary committee lifted his suspension with immediate effect and threw out the charges against him. The Rantao committee ruled that the charges of defying the party brought against the two-time Gaborone mayor and councillors Leano Matsheka, Segakisa Phoi and Malema Phaladi are incompetent.
Mothei was recently suspended from the BNF after he ousted a Moupo ally, Nelson Ramaotwana, as Gaborone mayor. Before the ouster, a BNF caucus had ruled that Ramaotwana should continue as mayor. But Mothei and the three councillors teamed up with the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) and Botswana Congress Party (BCP) to kick-out Ramaotwana in January mayoral elections. Soon after the Mothei and the councillors were suspended from the BNF by Moupo after the central committee failed to agree on the matter. The Rantao committee has ruled that unlike the ruling BDP, there is no provision for a caucus in the BNF constitution. The BNF is divided in the middle with one camp supporting Moupo ahead of the party elections and another opposing him.
