Senior Private Secretary to the President, Brigadier George Tlhalerwa has condemned the Botswana Congress Party youth for what he calls “politicising another citizen’s plight”. Speaking in an interview at his office on Monday, Tlhalerwa said it was unfortunate that politicians want to hijack Chwene’s plight for political mileage.
The BCP youth, accompanied by their President Tumiso ‘Chillyboy’ Rakgare had joined Chwene in Gaborone as he made his way to the Office of the President where he sought to meet President Ian Khama over what he terms “ill-treatment” from CEDA officials.
Rakgare and about eight youths clad in their party colours wanted to be allowed entry into Office of the President but security agents kept them at bay. It was then that Tlhalerwa wanted to find out from Rakgare the purpose of their presence at OP whereupon Rakgare responded that they had accompanied Chwene as youth who were concerned about his plight. “So why are you wearing party colours and why is it there are no youth from other parties?”, Tlhalerwa asked Rakgare and a mini verbal altercation ensued, with the BCP youth leader protesting that Tlhalerwa was not addressing him politely.
Tlhalerwa would later tell The Telegraph that on asking Chwene if he knew any of the BCP people who were accompanying him, Chwene said he only knew Rakgare as “BCP member of parliament for Mogoditshane, who beat Patrick Masimolole”. “You see they are taking advantage of an ignorant young man who doesn’t even know Rakgare is not a member of parliament”, Tlhalerwa said. He said he doesn’t understand why the BCP youth saw the need to accompany Chwene to the Office of the President. “In fact, this is not the first time Chwene is asking for assistance from President Khama”, Tlhalerwa added. He said Chwene once stood up at a Kgotla meeting and asked the President to intervene when the Land Board was taking long to allocate him a plot and since his request was legitimate, the president intervened and he was helped.
