01 Sep 2014

Independent candidates are not limited by political party manifestoes and caucuses when discharging their duties, speakers at the launch of Mahalapye East parliamentary hopefuls have observed.

When officially launching Mr Neo Magowe, Lentsweletau/Mmopane prospective parliamentary candidate, Major General Moeng Pheto quashed criticism from the ruling Botswana Democratic Party against mekoko arguing that they were within their constitutional right to contest as thus.

Subsequently, Maj. Gen. Pheto expressed his gratitude to the founding president, Sir Seretse Khama who ensured that mekoko could exercise that constitutional right to represent the people even without political party allegiance.

However, the former BDP member challenged Batswana to take stock of the country and guard jealously against the seemingly ailing democracy without an iota of cowardice.

Maj. Gen. Pheto revealed that his standing as an independent prospective was a calculated move to expose and strive to address the threatened democratic ideals which he described as ‘extinct’ and hence his choice of a rhinoceros as his logo.

He advised mekoko like him that leaders of struggle like the late Chris Hani usually fall at the tail-end and as such challenged mekoko to devote their energies to the cause they were pursuing.

Other speakers, amongst them Mr Mogalakwe Mogalakwe described Mr Magowe as a custodian of the people whose ‘servitude’ was beyond reproach.

He criticised Mr Magowe’s opponents of being unfit to represent Mahalapye East. He further ridiculed Ipelegeng programme as a waste of public funds where no success story emanating from the programme could be paraded to the nation.

For his part, former BDP youth league executive committee member, Mr Charles Majweng of Lecheng/Malaka told the gathering that standing as mokoko was neither a sin nor a selfish act but a move to liberate the people whose representatives were imposed upon them.

He argued that if the status quo of parties failing to handle primary elections properly persists then independent candidates were justified in finding recourse by standing on their own. Ends