President Ian Khama has endorsed Vice President Mokgweetsi Masisi so that he could retain his position as chairman of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) ahead of the elective congress scheduled for July.
Masisi will face off against Minister of Infrastructure Science and Technology Nonofo Molefhi in Tonota in July.
President Khama is clear that he wants Masisi as the party chairman.
Khama was speaking at a BDP star rally in Tlokweng on Friday where he started by acknowledging that it was tough to be a President. Talking from experience, he said Batswana are lucky to be having a man of Masisi’s calibre who will take over after him.
When he took the podium President Khama introduced his cabinet and members of Parliament who were present; Molefhi was not one of them.
“When I leave office, Vice President Mokgweetsi Masisi will ascend to the Presidency position. I worked with him and I know him. He is an intelligent man,” said Khama who further explained that he does not mean that other members of the BDP are not as intelligent as Masisi. But he said Masisi was way smarter than other members of BDP.
“I am not saying other democrats are not smart but Masisi is way smarter than other members,” said Khama.
Khama says whenever Masisi takes the podium he is the man to listen to because he speaks like a man with a vision.
However, scores of BDP members described Masisi as an arrogant man saying they don’t want him to be the party chairman. In February this year some members of Cabinet ministers’ plan to have Masisi dropped as Vice president collapsed after President Khama closed ranks around Masisi.
During that cabinet meeting ministers among them President Khama’s brother and Health Minister Dorcus Makgato expressed their reservation about the Vice president’s leadership. The Cabinet meeting was called by President Khama to try and clear the air which has been poisoned by the bruising contest for the presidency.
The antiÔÇôMasisi camp was then counting on the support of President Khama.
To their surprise Khama chose to be on Masisi’s side.
Last Friday was not the first time Khama endorsed Masisi.
He endorsed him during the BDP national Council in Gaborone and in one of the cabinet meetings where he implored his Cabinet ministers to make peace with Masisi.
He also used the platform to denounce Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) and Independent candidate Shirley Segokgo who contested the just ended by election.
Khama said since 1966 to date what the opposition has accomplished is the unstable Umbrella for Democratic Change and the opposition can never be trusted to rule Botswana.
