Former Botswana National Front (BNF) President, Otsweletse Moupo, has reported party activist, Professor Monageng Mogalakwe, to the party’s central committee, accusing his former ideological soul mate of bashing him and trying to fuel acrimony within the party.
BNF leader Duma Boko confirmed this to the Sunday Standard.
“A letter of complaint has been received from Comrade Moupo in which he expresses his concern about newspaper articles which he says amount to personal attack and may fuel acrimony and hostility within the party,” revealed Boko.
Mogalakwe, once counted as one of Moupo’s closest allies, has been in a spiteful exchange with the party’s youth wing general secretary, Arafat Khan, in one of the local newspapers.
In a bizarre twist, Mogalakwe and Khan, who both endorsed Boko, have since turned against each other.
Observers inside the party say the two’s rivalry stems from their tussle to control Duma Boko.
Mogalakwe has ridiculed Moupo and accuses him of being a sellout. Mogalakwe disapproves of Moupo’s plans to assist the party with Political Education.
On the other hand, Khan has come out in defence of Moupo. His diction and choice of words towards Mogalakwe has been far from polite.
Boko also said that Moupo has pleaded with the party to address the situation.
“The party is giving the matter serious attention,” he stated. “It’s all very well for people to express themselves but there are processes for expressing such views.”
The BNF leader also urged party members to debate issues without hurling insults or personal attacks.
“Exchanging insults and attacking people personally is a sickness of our political landscape,” Boko said.
He said that it was up to politicians to redeem politics by shifting from empty talk and focusing on serious issues.
“People must mature politically. Any exchange laced with insults is indicative of lack of substance,” he said.
He said that the country was faced with serious challenges, issues of which, he said, do not deserve ‘political comedians’
“People must mature,” he added.
In a separate interview with this paper, Moupo declined to say much when probed about the complaint he has launched.
“I am not going to comment on whether or not I have complained because it is purely an internal party matter,” he stated.
