“I do not hate Amon even though I have lost to him in two council primary elections. I like him like myown child…I even voted for him in 2014 elections. So I have no intention to see his name being tarnished” Mafunye
TSAONE SEGAETSHO
Speko, one of the characters named in the Sebina Facebook leaks implicating Shashe West MP and Assistant Minister of Education Fidelis Molao in a sex scandal, says he wants Kemmonye Amon to “face the music for what he did”, but denied setting out to tarnish him and knowledge of the leaked conversation between the two.
Speko whose real name is Mooketsi Mafunye, is accused in the leaks of being hell bent on tarnishing Amon’s name as he is said to have gone to The Voice newspaper in a bid to publish a story about child molestation case implicating Molao- who has since denied the allegations.
Mafunye who hails from Sebina is himself a Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) member and former councillor who lost the party’s primaries to Amon.“I know nothing about using social media and I know nothing about the leaked conversation. As a BDP member, I know it is our duty as a party to make sure that law and human rights are respected,” he said vehemently.
In the leaked conversation “Speko” and Titose Thipe, another staunch BDP followers are accused of spending most of their time at the alleged victim’s yard “as if the family is bereaved” in what is seen as their attempt to challenge their political nemesis, Molao and Amon. This part of the leak, if it’s anything to go by, implies a deep factional politics which seem to underplay the significance of the matter of involving a pregnant and possibly violated underage child school.
The Voice editor, Bokhutlo threw a spanner in the works by castigating the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) for coercing her to publish an uncorroborated story. Elsewhere, it however emerged that the story had been planned to be placed on The Voice page 2 of last week. The story was however never published. Bokhutlo who refused to comment on the matter saying it was still under investigation, could not shed light on which specific investigations were being carried out, by who or against whom.
On allegations that he was motivated by bitterness against Amon, Mafunye said that his loyalty was to the country first and that the BDP has a responsibility to protect the rights of people and lead by example. He said he was a straight talker who is not a boot-licker, and wants things done right.
He reiterated that he was a staunch BDP supporter who has been active since the times of Seretse Khama and Keitumile Masire, former president of Botswana, adding that the BDP had changed and that some people within it had lost their moral compass.
“If it was a teacher who molestated a child, the BDP government could have fired him. Amon should not be an exception if he has committed any offense; the law should take its course. I do not hate Amon even though I have lost to him in two council primary elections. I like him like my own child…I even voted for him in 2014 elections. So I have no intention to see his name being tarnished,” Mafunye said.
He also said that Amon and Molao were close friends who often go out to drinking together, and have been “social buddies” for a long time.