- Mabaila registers interest in Mogoditshane East
- Party still mum about his suspension
- Rakgare moves to Mogoditshane West
LETLHOGILE MPUANG
Suspended Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) member, Tshepang Mabaila, has expressed his interest to run in BDP parliamentary primary elections in Mogoditshane East.
The Botswana Gazette is informed that Mabaila was among the first three prospective candidates to express their interest in BDP primaries in Mogoditshane West.
Although the party has extended the expression of interest period to 2nd November 2023, well-placed sources say Mabaila, soccer legend Arone Radira and Tshepo Jimmy were among the first to submit their intentions from the new constituency.
Suspended in 2018
“I am not in any position to comment on that,” Mabaila told The Botswana Gazette this week. “Please direct your inquiry to the party.”
According to a confidant of Mabaila, the former officer in the Botswana Defence Force and the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crimes is approaching his intentions with caution because President Mokgweetsi Masisi has not officially reinstated him to the party after he was suspended in 2018.
He was suspended amid allegations that he had attempted to lobby MPs of the BDP to vote for then Leader of the Opposition Duma Boko’s motion of no confidence against President Masisi.
Independent candidate
Mabaila has strongly denied the accusation.
He subsequently ran as an independent candidate in the 2019 general elections and lost to Tumiso Rakgare. Other candidates were Mzambia Dibe of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), Sedirwa Kgoroba of the Alliance for Progressives and another independent candidate Bruce Nkgakile.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Tumiso Rakgare, has reportedly shifted his candidacy to Mogoditshane West.
Mogoditshane was divided into two constituencies in the last delimitation process.