Tshekedi Has Less Than Three Weeks To Save His Seat

  • Failure to show up will result in a vacancy and a by-election
  • Tshekedi has failed to attend the last two sittings

SESUPO RANTSIMAKO

Time is running out for self-exiled MP for Serowe West, Tshekedi Khama, to save his parliamentary seat or face being recalled.

According to Standing Orders of the National Assembly, an MP loses incumbency if three consecutive sittings pass without his/her presence in the House, rendering the constituency vacant and leading to a by-election.

Last attended in 2021

The younger brother of former president Ian Khama has so far consecutively missed the last two, the July/August 2022 and November/December 2023, sittings.

Tshekedi’s last Parliament attendance was in the 2021 budget session.

In terms of Standing Orders, he can save his seat by attending Parliament before the end of the current sitting, which is left with just over two weeks.

The MP for Serowe West fled the country to join his older brother, former president Khama, in self-exile in South Africa early last year after an encounter with the police and a brief detention.

He was arrested together with his wife Thea and twin brother Anthony in connection with Botswana Defence Force (BDF) tenders for their company, Seleka Springs.

Up to April

Efforts to contact Tshekedi proved futile as he did not respond to Gazette enquiries. The Speaker of the National Assembly, Phandu Skelemani, also did not respond to this newspaper’s enquiries even after he asked for questions to be texted to his mobile phone.

However, addressing journalists about Tshekedi’s absence early this year, the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Pono Moatlhodi, said that they were closely monitoring the situation.

“We have our eyes open and ears alert regarding his absconding (from) Parliament,” he said.

Moatlhodi added that Tshekedi had up to April to attend Parliament before the current session ends.