Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) has threatened to reveal President Ian Khama’s love affairs if he does not apologise to Moremi Tawana for shaming him and parading his ex wife at a Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) star rally in Maun last Friday.
At the rally, Khama said Tawana failed to look after his own children, and him as the President took the responsibility to help Tawana’s ex wife to look after Tawana’s children.
“His ex wife came to me asking me to help her to look after the children. I did that despite Tawana’s attacks on myself. I know the history of Tawana’s Tribe and I will continue to look after Tawana’s children. Even in the past years after I ascended to power, whenever I came to Maun West I would go around with him as the area Member of Parliament,” Khama said.
Speaking at Ndaba Gaolatlhe star rally held in Gaborone Bonnington South on Sunday, Botswana Federation of Public Sector Union (BOFEPUSU) Labour secretary, also the mastermind behind opposition cooperation, Johnson Motswarakgole said Khama should apologise to Tawana or face his affairs being paraded at UDC rallies.
“I am a Mokwena and when you look into the history of this country Khama and Tawana are my nephews, I have to advice Khama that parading Tawana ex wife and uttering all those statements levelled to Tawana was inappropriate. ┬áMy advice as an elder to him is that he has to retract his statements and apologise to Tawana,” Motshwarakgole said.
Motshwarakgole said what Khama said was against the norms and values of the Tswana culture. “Let me remind Khama that we never ask him about Dr Mbere; for us not questioning about her does not mean that we do not know what happened between him and Dr Mbere after he paid lobola (pride price) for her in South Africa,” he said.
UDC threatened to parade Dr Mbere at their rallies just like what Khama did with Tawana’s ex wife. “Just like he did with Tawana’s ex wife let me remind him yet again that we as the UDC, It is not difficult for us to bring Dr Mbere and parade her in our rallies. Khama’s actions must be condemned, this has angered the Tawana’s tribe and it is against our culture,” Motshwarakgole said.
For his part UDC Member of Parliament for Mochudi West Gilbert Mangole also said Khama was out of line. ┬á“We hear that Khama and some members of the BDP have embarked on a campaign to attack the paramount chief of Tawana tribe; they insult him. It will be so improper if we as the UDC we keep quiet on this issue, therefore we are telling Khama and the BDP that they should not mess with Tawana tribe and its chieftaincy,” he said.
UDC sent a message to Khama saying he is not qualified to utter such statement.
“We send a message to Khama; Tawana is the paramount chief of the Tawana tribe, tell Khama that he is not qualified; he has no right to speak the way he did about Tawana. As I speak to you right now Tawana has a son who will be the paramount chief of Tawana tribe. His son will be raised by the tribe to prepare him for the chieftaincy. We do not like what has happened in Maun. Tawana has protected the image and integrity of the Tawana tribe chieftaincy,” Mangole said.
Mangole also dismissed Bangwato chieftainship. ┬á“As I speak to you right now Bangwato are left with no paramount chief and they will never have one. Bangwato chieftaincy has vanished; so they should stay away from Tawana and his tribe. Tawana is the paramount chief of the Tawana tribe,” Mangole said.
He further said Khama and his team were ill mannered and the UDC will not allow them to de-campaign Tawana using his relationship status and his personal life. “Tell Khama that we respect ourselves, if he wants to know who wrecked Tawana’s marriage we can tell him, we should be politicking and avoiding bringing others’s affairs in our politicking,” said Mangole.
The Telegraph has learnt that Tawana’s regiment has sent delegates to the Batawana Regent, who is Tawana’s sister to ask her to call for a meeting to discuss the matter at length and see the way forward. Feedback expected Tuesday.
