Before his unceremonious resignation from Parliament last week, plans were afoot inside the Botswana National Front to put James Mathokgwane through the paces to ultimately become Secretary General of the Botswana National Front.
A network of campaigners was already in place to campaign for him ahead of an elective Congress due next year.
Mathokgwane though officially still a member of the BNF is unlikely to go ahead with his dream to become Secretary General.
Mystery still surrounds the reasons for his resignation.
The situation has not been helped by conflicting positions.
His resignation from parliament has left many BNF members and their partners at the Umbrella for Democratic Change badly dispirited.
The situation has not been helped by the fact that over the weekend BNF lost a by-election in Mochudi, raising fears of deflation and loss of momentum that has in the past threatened to bring the UDC back on its knees.
Mathokgwane is now employed at SPEDU ÔÇô state owned parastatal that is tasked with turning around Selibe Phikwe and saving the city from collapse in the event BCL mine closes.
One of Mathokgwane’s key men in the BNF who was spearheading the campaign to become secretary General is BNF Youth Leader, Arafat Khan.
Khan confirmed to The Telegraph that there was a groundswell of support for Mathokgwane that was nation-wide in nature.
“There is little doubt that he was going to win the position at a Congress due next year,” said Khan.
He said it was not Mathokgwane who was pushing for the position, but rather the various constituencies who felt that upon the incumbent’s retirement the former Goodhope/Mabule Member of Parliament would be an ideal candidate.
Mathokgwane resigned from Parliament last week under the circumstances that are still to be honestly explained.
