While Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) and its splinter party Botswana Movement For Democracy (BMD) are at each other’s throat, the same cannot be said for Daniel Kwelagobe, the BDP National Chairman and BMD interim treasurer Guma Moyo.
At the same time that President Ian Khama was lashing at Moyo, calling him a divisive power monger, Moyo and Kwelagobe were in Harare on a private visit.
As a result, Kwelagobe did not attend the rally addressed by Khama at Moyo’s backyard in Tsamaya.
Moyo and Kwelagobe left Gaborone for Harare on Friday. The duo arrived back on Monday afternoon. As their plane landed, the two were seen buddy-buddy walking hand in hand.
For a minute they seemed unoccupied with the ongoing tussle between their respective parties.
The two, who were caught off guard by The Telegraph crew at the airport, refused to disclose the purpose of their visit to Zimbabwe. Kwelagobe dismissed suggestions that he had deliberately missed Khama’s rally.
“There are many more rallies to come. In fact, I will be launching the party’s parliamentary candidate at Tonota North,” he said rhetorically.
In a separate interview, Moyo said that he and Kwelagobe had gone on a private visit to Zimbabwe
“It was a private trip. I had gone on a business and I had requested him to accompany me,” Moyo told The Telegraph.
Moyo said that although he (Moyo) and Kwelagobe belong to rival political parties, it did not mean that they cannot interact together.
“We are Members of Parliament and political leaders but we have our private lives,” he said.
He said that there is need for political tolerance more especially among politicians of different political parties.
In an interview with The Telegraph the BDP Executive Secretary, Dr Comma Serema, said there was nothing amiss about Kwelagobe’s absence.
“He had a pressing issue with young people at his constituency and the party excused him from attending the rally in Tsamaya.
“We agreed that he will launch the party’s candidate at Tonota North,” explained Serema.