Sunday, February 9, 2025

Tawana may never join BMD

His wife had already made up her mind about joining the Botswana Movement for Democracy. She had already bought the BMD regalia and was looking forward to the BMD rally in Maun on the 31st July until her husband, Maun West MP and Batawana Paramount Chief Tawana Moremi, cautioned her about joining the BMD. When the conversation begins, both Kgosi Tawana and his wife Goitseone, agree that BMD is the best thing to have ever happened to Botswana politics more especially to the BDP.

Tawana’s reasoning for this assertion is, with the formation of the BMD and ongoing defections, Khama can no longer afford to run the BDP as a one man show.

He says Khama has no choice but to listen to even dissenting voices in the BDP. Tawana, who emphasizes that he is independent minded, says President Khama recently had a meeting with BDP MPs and he could pick signs of a changed man in Khama. He says they were freely allowed to speak their minds during the meeting.

When asked if he was under pressure from Vice President Merafhe to vote against a motion that was brought to parliament that sought to address the mess discovered by the PAC, Tawana says his decision had nothing to do with the limelight often preached by the VP but was merely informed by his realization that the movers had carried out their assignment fully.

Tawana revealed that even though he considers himself one of the founders of BMD, it is the speed at which the party was formed that made him have second thoughts about pursuing the project. He said as the initial BMD EXCO from the Mogoditshane meeting, they had agreed that they would seat down and scrutinise the resolutions and demands put forward by Barataphathi but was shocked when the following morning Sidney Pilane went on radio stations announcing the unrefined resolutions of the Mogoditshane meeting.

Tawana feels that the BMD was hastily formed by people who are not certain about their political future in the BDP beyond 2013 when the primary elections (bulela ditswe) may see some of them being vetted out by the party leadership.

“It is just personal endeavors,” quips Tawana. When asked if he is not worried about being vetted out of the BDP race for parliament in 2013 Tawana responds that 2013 is too far to be worried about right now.

Kgosi Tawana’s wife, affectionately known as Tsitsi, who had initially tried to restrain Tawana from divulging too much information, swaps seats with Tawana and seats next to me.
She offers more insight into her aborted decision to join the Orange revolution.

“For two weeks there was tension in the house. We were literally on silent mode and we would just pass each other without a word,” Tsitsi reveals. “Tawana kept asking me if I was sure of what I was doing in joining the BMD,” Tsitsi said.

“At first I thought of rebelling against him but it dawned on me that he is head of the family. I came to my senses and realized that my move would be seen as being rebellious in the eyes of Batawana who respect me as Mohumagadi. After a lot of introspection I decided to heed my husband’s advice,” she said.

Tawana’s intervention does not come as the only reason for the blockage of Mohumagadi’s move to the BMD. Tawana confesses that every time BDP top officials asked him about his impending defection he would refer them to Tsitsi as she was the one who looked determined to change political affiliation. Tsitsi concurs that she received many calls and visits from BDP top officials in the likes of Ministers Pelonomi Venson-Motoi and Tshireletso Botlhogile. Khama’s personal friend Thapelo Olopeng also paid them a visit to convince them against joining the BMD.

Tawana had already bought flight tickets to Maun for the BMD rally but the Royal family had to cancel their trip at last minute after the intervention of Pelonomi Venson-Motoi.
In fact Mma Venson-Moitoi went as far as encouraging Tsitsi to threaten Tawana if he stubbornly chose to travel to Maun. Mma Venson-Motoi is said to have told Tsitsi, “I told my husband to choose between our marriage and the BMD rally and you too should tell Tawana the same thing”.
Mma Venson-Motoi’s husband has been linked with the BMD and his absence from the Maun rally means the poor husband had to choose his marriage over his political orientation.

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