UDC MPS TO ELECT NEW OPP CHIEF WHIP
“They can go ahead,” Moatlhodi
MEMBERS of Parliament for Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) have had enough of their dramatic Opposition Chief Whip, Pono Moatlhodi.
In fact, the UDC MPS are so fed up with the charismatic MP’S theatrics in parliament that they are ready to replace him.
Speaking to this publication, five UDC MPS who asked for their names to be withheld complained bitterly that Moatlhodi was often rude, inconsiderate and biased against them.
“When our views are divergent to the views of the BDP, Moatlhodi takes the ruling party’s side. We have turned into BDP’S laughing stock because of his ridiculous shouting.”
The MPS further alleged that the MP for Tonota’s apparent love for the BDP was not only annoying but also counter-productive. His behaviour seems to have pushed his colleagues to the edge as they have even gone as far as reporting him to their Leader of Opposition, Dumelang Saleshando, so he could call him to order.
Giving an example of how Moatlhodi was working against them, one UDC MP said that when they had demanded to know who had authority at the Ministry of Agriculture between the Minister, Edwin Dikoloti, and his Assistant, Beauty Manake, as the two had given parliament different and contradicting answers, instead of waiting for government to provide an answer, Moatlhodi stood up and trivialised the UDC’S question, accusing them of being playful.
“When he acted as Deputy Speaker a week ago, he reprimanded one of us using unparliamentarily language and he is always in disagreement with UDC motions and presentations,” said another MP who went further and gave an example of how Moatlhodi had been up against Taolo Lucas’s motion on Social Justice Commission being put to a vote.
“We approached Saleshando three weeks ago during our caucus complaining about Moatlhodi’s behaviour and the way he lashes out at us during debates but to our disappointment, Saleshando has decided to sit on our message and not act. We are not taking this lightly and when we come in for the winter session in July, we will have a new Opposition Chief Whip, we cannot continue with someone who doesn’t respect us,” said one MP.
“Whether he decides to leave the Umbrella after we remove him from the seat or he remains a UDC member is up to him, we don’t care about that, we will select a new Opposition Chief Whip,” added another fed up MP.
However, the Leader of Opposition has denied claims that Moatlhodi has been reported to him. “I would have acted on it had I been approached but they haven’t done that,” he said.
Meanwhile, Moatlhodi said that the MPS could go ahead and do whatever they wanted. Before joining the UDC in 2014, PPP - as Moatlhodi is fondly known - was a BDP member who even became a Deputy Speaker in Parliament. He then resigned and joined opposition ranks after accusing the BDP of failing to address his grievances following his loss to Thapelo Olopeng in the party’s primary elections.