The departure of minister and Specially Elected Member of Parliament, Lesego Motsumi, who is leaving to take up a diplomatic appointment, has once again brought back into the public domain the integrity of a provision in the constitution, which allows for nomination of Specially Elected Members of Parliament.
Motsumi, along with three others, were elected as Specially Elected members of Parliament in 2009, but thirteen months down the line she has been asked to make way to allow the President to rope in someone new.
In defence of the constitutional provision of Specially Elected Members of Parliament, Government has always argued that the people so elected bring special skills to parliament.
In an interview, the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) President, Dumelang Saleshando, said Motsumi’s redeployment casts doubts on the propriety of the system.
He said the fact that President Khama feels he no longer needs Motsumi only a short time after she was made Specially Elected MP confirms what opposition has always said that the ruling party uses the provision to appease and placate its factions.
He said Motsumi is now expendable because dynamics inside the BDP have dramatically changed since the party’s harrowing split some time last year.
Fundamentally, said Saleshando, the redeployment proved that Motsumi was not brought into parliament for any special skills.
He said if Motsumi had any skills how can it be that those skills are no longer required.
“But there is another dimension to it,” said Saleshando.
“President Ian Khama is displaying a lot of indecision. The man is no longer sure what he really needs. He has become haphazard in his appointments. The formation of the Botswana Movement for Democracy has badly destabilized him.”
Saleshando said, as it is, the President feels vulnerable, not least because his front bench is unable to defend him.
“Ponatshego Kedikilwe, who we are told is the best minister, is totally detached from BDP politics. All he talks about is water and electricity. Daniel Kwelagobe is sitting in the back benches while the Vice President is a source of all instability.”
He has been badly weakened by the BDP split.
Commenting on the issue, Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD)’s interim chair, Gomolemo Motswaledi, said the spirit of the special nomination has been insulted by the ruling party as it uses its majority in parliament to undermine what the nominations are supposed to serve.
Motswaledi said it is not surprising that of late some of his party members have been calling for the scrapping of the nomination of specially elected MP and councilors. He said Motsumi’s appointment was based on an erratic mood.
“It is not surprising because the current mood cannot accommodate her,” said Motswaledi.
“This is a tip of the iceberg. More outrageous things that undermine the integrity of the state and its people will soon surface,” he added.
He said that his party wishes Motsumi well.
“We urge her to appreciate that, as a diplomat, she is representing people of Botswana and is not a delegate of BDP out there,” said Motswaledi.
For his part, Botswana National Front (BNF) President Duma Boko stated that the appointments have very little to do with a person’s attributes, let alone some ‘perceived special skill’.
“There is no special skill she brought to parliament,” said Boko.
He said that Motsumi’s redeployment is a clear example that those appointed were not different from disposable items as they are appointed at the whim of the President.
“There is nothing objectively spectacular because these appointments are done to appease loyalists,” he stated.
He said that Motsumi was moving to make way for the culture of appeasement to continue as another Khama loyalist will be appointed to replace Motsumi.
On the other hand, University of Botswana academic, Log Radithokwa, is of the view that Motsumi’s move has nothing to do with whether or not Khama is happy with Motsumi’s performance and rather insists that Khama is trying to stabilize the BDP.
“It’s not about her alone. The President is trying to stabilize the BDP and so their stepping down is no surprise,” said Radithokwa.
