Mohammed Khan Defends his Silence in Parliament

  • He has never asked a question in parliament since 2014
  • He has never tabled a motion in parliament since 2014
  • Says it’s a waste of time and energy
  • Says Parliament is run Mafia-style

SONNY SERITE

For fifteen years (3 general elections), Mohammed Khan fought hard, without success, to be sent to parliament to become the voice of Molepolole residents. It was only at the fourth attempt, 2014 general elections that Bakwena finally decided to send him to parliament through Molepolole North constituency.  Khan is an outspoken politician who is known for always expressing his views without fear or favour. A quick research by this publication at the parliamentary library, however, established that since he entered parliament in 2014, Khan has never asked a single question about any issue and he has never tabled a single motion for debate in parliament. His lever arch file at the parliamentary library is empty.
When this publication confronted him about his seeming lack of interest, Khan said he found it worthless to ask ministers questions because, according to him, ‘‘questions asked in parliament are cooked well are mostly just simply lies,” explaining also that Botswana parliament is run Mafia style and there is no democracy. ‘‘It is an autocracy,” the veteran politician said.
‘‘My time and energy are fully focussed on far more important matters. If I require answers I approach the Permanent Secretary or relevant officers and get my prompt answers there or at times I do engage the Ministers’’, Khan continued. He said his priority is on the commitments he made to Bakwena on following up on ‘‘basic major infrastructural developments lacking in Molepolole, the largest village in the country.’’
Khan also took a swipe at his BDP counterparts in parliament and said they are captured. ‘‘BDP doesn’t have any independence of their minds. They are living in mental slavery under a dictatorial leadership,’’ he said, further reiterating that he prefers to speak to ‘‘the relevant person/s and convince the individual/s to appreciate the idea or concepts that would bring benefit,’’ and he does not play to public gallery.
He said he will only ask questions and table motions in parliament after he is satisfied with his commitments in Molepolole but said even then, it will only be for record purposes and not that he sees any substantial gain from the BDP regime.