Opposition MPs have no confidence in Saleshando
MP Healey hits back at Saleshando
Member of Parliament for Gaborone Central, Tumisang Mangwegape- Healey says opposition MPs have demonstrated no confidence on the Leader of Opposition Dumelang Saleshando through their debates on the State of the Nation Address.
Debating a motion of no confidence on the government tabled by Saleshando, Healey stated that a Motion of No Confidence is an expression of lack of trust in a leader. He said Saleshando came through with a theme that says ‘ through the eye of the needle’ and he puts across several points.
“I have noticed just like with past addresses of the State of the Nation Address ( SONA), Members of the Opposition have not even bothered to say anything in line with the theme of what their leader has said. That in itself is a vote of no confidence.
“That tells you that members of the opposition are never bothered or concerned about the pace or the tone that Saleshando is trying to set. We are just at the end of the SONA, all the members of the opposition have spoken and none of them was concerned with the fanatic areas that their leader was trying to put forth.
“If ever there was an example of a vote of no confidence members of the opposition in the 12th Parliament have clearly expressed a vote of no confidence in LOO,” Mangwegape- Healey said.
The MP said one of the things Saleshando spoke to was how the President abuses his office, and does not uphold the oath of office. He said about a year ago, Parliament spent weeks discussing a motion about members of the land board because Saleshando was offended that his friend had not been included in the Tawana Land Board.
He tried to hoodwink us by saying he was the only person with a Master’s Degree but Mzwinila then provided qualifications of people he had appointed to Tawana Land Board, one of which had a Master’s Degree in matters related to land, Mangwegape- Healey argued.
“He also made an allegation that the President does not like competition that is why he frustrated or prevented Pelonomi Venson- Moitoi from competing against him in the Botswana Democratic Party ( BDP) elections.
“I think it is on record that that is false but what is on record is that Saleshando is a man who has been handed a party on a silver platter by his own father and he has never competed against anybody for that position.
“One wonders why Saleshando talked to us about ‘ show me your friend and I will show you your character’. On several occasions, the Botswana Congress Party ( BCP) has made accusations against the former President Ian Khama about how corrupt he is, about extra- judicial activities under his watch.
“The UDC has made allegations of people being assassinated under the former President’s watch. Now the former President is a bedfellow with Saleshando. So, I say show me your friend and I will show you your character,” Mangwegape-Healey told Parliament.
He indicated that the opposition are people of convenience as they shift from one position to the other when it suits them.
“We often hear them talking a lot about Anna Mokgethi accusing her of many things but she was their candidate in the 2014 elections when all these things were still ongoing and they saw nothing wrong with that,” he said, adding that this is not anything new and that is how the opposition is.
He said the opposition shifts position depending on what is beneficial to them.
I think it is on record that that is false but what is on record is that Saleshando is a man who has been handed a party on a silver platter by his own father and he has never competed against anybody for that position