Former President Ian Khama who is on a mission to see his former party Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) defeated during the 2019 General Elections has added more ruling party parliamentary candidates on his hit list.
Addressing a Botswana Patriotic Party (BPF) political rally in Palapye last weekend, Khama added Members of Parliament for Shashe West and Palapye messers Fidelis Molao and Master Goya as those he will tell voters to reject at the polls. Khama informed multitudes of people who attended that his next stop will be Molao’s constituency. Regarding Goya, he said initially he had soft spot for him until he saw him on a billboard with President Mokgweetsi Masisi.
The hit list and their alleged atrocities against Khama
Dorcus Makgato
After President Masisi, Dorcus Makgato is the second most abhorred person by former President Khama who has already started campaigning against her in the constituency. Khama said that Makgato is very dishonest as she used to come to him and told him that Masisi was a very dishonest politician. The two used to be close and during the early campaigns for the party president, Makgato was part of the Pelonomi Venson Moitoi’s team. She attended meetings in Mosu and Serowe last year but things changed beginning of 2019.
This infuriated Khama who immediately endorsed the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) candidate Dr Kesitegile Gobotswang. Makgato on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on Khama accusing him of abusing his kgosikgolo title to de-campaign her in Sefhare-Ramokgonami.
On their fallout she revealed that Khama wanted her to do something which he told him that he should rather shoot her. “Khama operates in instilling fear. When he was president people lived in fear. Now he is using kgosikgolo title to instill fear on people,” she hit out.
Makgato, who first went to Parliament through special nomination by Khama, said the former President told her that he wants to come back and clean the mess within government. “When he was in power he went to my constituency and Bobirwa, and traversed the whole country telling Batswana that I am an intelligent, best performing MP and minister. He later launched Kgoboko saying he is the best candidate to replace Shaw Kgathi and that Masisi is the best replacement for him. Now when it is convenient for him he somersaults and changes the story to suit his desires. I reject that because I dont want history to judge me harshly and my kids to wonder what I did for this country,” she hit out.
Slumber Tsogwane
Khama has already visited Boteti West constituency and informed voters to vote for UDC candidate Sam Tsogwane whom he said he is going to launch. Khama said that he used to respect Tsogwane as he was a humble politician but since he became president he is now arrogant and dishonest. Khama’s gripe with Tsogwane is when he outsmarted him during the elections of delegates for the Kang congress. Tsogwane managed to get Masisi more delegates something that infuriated Khama during his first meeting at Lady Khama hall in Serowe.
In response Tsogwane during a political rally in Mathudukwane hit back at Khama saying his time in politics is over.
Francisco Kgoboko
The Bobonong BDP parliamentary candidate is one of the politicians Khama felt betrayed by them and has vowed to ensure he loses the elections.
In all his rallies, Khama has not missed opportunity to mention Kgoboko and how dishonest he is. Ahead of the BDP primaries, Khama campaigned for Kgoboko and dismissed the incumbent Shaw Kgathi in a rally. Khama said that Kgoboko used him for political gain and dumped him for President Masisi. In Palapye recently Khama said that he is going to endorse UDC parliamentary candidate Taolo Lucas and will also do house to house campaigns for him.
Setlhomo Lelatisitswe
Lelatisitswe is one of the MPs who attended Khama’s initial meeting in Mosu last year to try and form a team that will campaign for Venson Moitoi. He later dumped the camp for Masisi camp. Khama is now pushing for BDP loser in the primary elections Obowetse Gabotlale who is now the national chairperson of BPF.
Fidelis Molao
The two are said to have never seen eye to eye even Khama was the president. Molao is the first BDP MP who criticized former president Khama.
It was during the debate on the Motion of No Confidence brought by UDC President Duma Boko when Molao told him that he is a hired gun.
“This Motion has been brought to the House and I opined that the mover of the Motion is a hired gun and I stick by it. He is doing the bidding for certain people, and it is very dangerous Mr Speaker,” said Molao, refusing to state those certain people. It was clear that he was referring to Khama because Boko kept on accusing the current administration of harassing Khama and former DIS Director General Isaac Kgosi.
Reaboka Mbulawa
Khama has not revealed why he want to de-campaign Mbulawa but sources have revealed that it has to do with his stance to support the lifting of the hunting ban.
Khama is against the lifting of the hunting ban saying it won’t solve the human/wild animals’ conflict and he was supported by the UDC which stated that they will release a researched paper on the issue.
On Friday Khama started his campaign in Maun for UDC Vice President Dumelang Saleshando and was accompanied by UDC council candidates as he donated clothes and food hampers.