29 May 2015

Leader of Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), Mr Duma Boko says reasons for resignation of Goodhope-Mabule MP were personal.

Addressing the media on Thursday (May 28), Mr Boko said Mr James Mathokgwane’s circumstances which he informed the party, base his decision to resign are personal and are of such a nature that they preclude him entirely to continue his duties as an MP for the constituency.

“With greatest regret, we received communication from one of our foot soldiers in the person of James Mathokgwane, that owing to certain personal circumstances of such a nature that they inhibited entirely his ability to continue to discharge his responsibilities to the electorate and to the nation, he had resigned his position as MP for Goodhope Mabule Constituency,” he emphasised.

He said as members of Botswana National Front and UDC, they respected his privacy.

He said as UDC they appreciate the work that Mr Mathokgwane carried out for and on behalf of people of GoodHope-Mabule constituency. He said the work he did in the short period of time while serving in Parliament was sterling.

“There is no doubt in our minds that we had in our midst the person of James Mathokgwane, an able and very articulate representative and spokesperson of the people of that constituency and the nation at large,” he said.

He said UDC thanks the decision that electorates took in voting for Mr Mathokgwane and embracing change in leadership.

Mr Mathokgwane was sworn in as MP on October 30,  after defeating his closest rival Mr Kitso Mokaila of Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) in the 2014 general elections by 6712 votes to 6101 votes.

During his tenure as MP, he served as a member in the parliamentary portfolio committees of Labour and Home Affairs, Health and HIV/AIDS, Governance and Oversight, and the Southern African Development Community- Parliamentary Forum (SADC-PF). Ends