Makhura shies away from council secretary ouster
Veteran Malolwane ward councillor, Stephen Makhura has distanced himself from the suspension of Kgatleng District Council (KDC) secretary, Mpho Mathe.
Mathe was suspended by the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Eric Molale following a letter written by KDC councillors, majority of whom belonged to the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP).
But in an open letter to Molale aimed at setting the record straight, Makhura said; “As a matter of principle and as a disciplined member of the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) and Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), that believes in workplace fairness, I wanted to openly dissociate myself from any representations made to you concerning the council secretary and the consequent suspension”.
Makhura, who has in the past served as KDC chairperson, added that, “I am therefore familiar with the Council’s processes and protocols”.
“I have just learnt that you, acting on the request or concerns of BDP councillors, in the KDC, have suspended the Council Secretary from office. It is not clear to me what wrong he has done to deserve being suspended,” Makhura wrote. He continued: “I also wish to condemn in the strongest terms the unfairness and lawlessness of the BDP councillors for engineering the suspension of the council secretary without due process. Madomokoraga ba keta ka matshelo a Batswana!”
Makhura claimed that there was no duly constituted meeting of KDC that took a decision to recommend the suspension of Mathe.
“In my knowledge, the council secretary was clear-minded in so far as understanding that COVID-19 food hampers are not supposed to be politicised as the BDP councillors wanted to do. Food parcels are not BDP handouts. They are relief measures paid by taxpayers not BDP donors,” he stated. He said the BDP should desist from treating national resources as their own private property and must treat people with respect and dignity.
“They have treated the Council Secretary in the most unfair of manner. He has not been subjected to any disciplinary hearing and afforded an opportunity to be heard before the suspension was effected. BDP councillors want to hijack distribution of food parcels and give only their members and starve members of the opposition. I wish to warn the BDP not to abuse our peacefulness for stupidity. BDP will not rule this country forever. I am sure even after losing power they would still want to be treated fairly and with respect as all Batswana should,” he said.