DISAPPOINTED VOTERS WISH FOR A CHANCE TO VOTE PPP OUT
Shocked Tonota residents have expressed frustration and disappointment over the defection of their Member of Parliament, Honourable Pono Moathodi from the Botswana National Front (BNF) under the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) to the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) on Friday last week.
The Voice Reporter, CHRISTINAH MOTLHABANE travelled to Tonota to get the villagers views on Moatlhodi’s resignation and defection.
MOSEKI MODISAOTSILE AGED, 55 (SEMOTSWANE WARD)
We are not happy at all. How can we vote for someone and when he gets to Gaborone he jumps to another party without consulting us.
Had he told us before the elections that his plan was to defect, we would not have voted for him at all.
His decision has left us wounded and angry. We are still shocked by his decision.
The way Pono begged for our vote, It’s hard to believe he is the same person who has gone to the BDP and is now sounding arrogant on radio.
JOSEPH MOATHODI AGED, 50 (SEMOTSWANE WARD)
This man has hurt a lot of people! We expected a lot from him and he left us unrepresented at parliament.
I am a taxi driver and I used my taxi together with other taxi drivers to campaign and canvass votes for Pono.
We used our own petrol but he decided to dump us for the BDP.
Most of the time when he comes from Gaborone he uses public transport and when he gets here at the taxi rank we charge him a discounted P10 for a special taxi fare instead of the regular P30 that other passengers pay. We loved him and trusted him.
If it were possible we would petition so we vote for the person we want.
We long suspected he wanted to defect but he assured us he had no such plans and we gave him the benefit of the doubt and now this!
SOLOMON MOILWA (MOHAKAMME WARD)
Pono left us high and dry. He promised us a lot of developments like malls, a hospital, better roads and banks.
We expected a lot from him as per his many promises. His decision to join the BDP does not sit well with us at all.
If he could have told us before the elections that he will jump for BDP at the slightest excuse, we would have not voted for him.
He left with our votes and it’s annoying!
BANTOPELE KGOSIEMANG AGED, 43 (MADISAKWANE WARD)
On Election Day I did not sleep at the anticipation of going to vote for a capable UDC leader.
Little did I know that I was excited to throw away my vote. Maybe if I did not cast my vote and convinced my friends to do the same, maybe Moatlhodi would have lost. I regret casting my vote.
I have now come to believe that the only politician you can trust is indeed a dead one.
We voted with all our hearts thinking we are together in the UDC with Pono, so for now what we want is to be given a chance to vote him out.
GODFREY MADIDIMALE AGED, 27
What hurt me the most is that Pono came to us (taxi drivers) crying, asking us to help him with the campaign.
We conducted a motorcade with our taxis with UDC banners, using our petrol campaigning for the old man only for him to throw us away like that.
He stole our vote. Where is Pono now? Nowhere to be found, we are left unrepresented but he won the parliamentary seat through us.
We used to transport him with our taxis and he paid the little money that he could afford as he seemed broke at the time, but because we loved and supported him we did not mind.
I think we should let him go wherever he wants to, but he must leave our votes.
Let him go and solve his court case of the dog he had set on an innocent boy and caused the vicious animal to bite the boy.
We don’t have roads inroads in Tonota; the tarred road ends at his yard.
TUMELETSO NGATI AGED, 70 (MANYANDA WARD}
Pono stole our vote and ran away with it. It is immoral and unfair that he used us to put food on the table for his children using us.
I am deeply hurt because he stole my vote and I don’t like it, I want it back. What he did is tantamount to theft. He is a thief.
I want my vote back!
MICHAEL MOKGWE AGED, 25 (TONOTA WEST WARD)
We are not happy because we sent that man to parliament to speak on our behalf but he decided to do what he wants with our votes. Now we do not have a Member of Parliament.
His defection is indicative that what we sent sent him to say in parliament he was unable to say.
PULE ONNEILE AGED, 23 (MANYANADA WARD)
I voted for Botate because he was from the opposition party (UDC) but he decided to change.
We need another Member of Parliament because we have been left in the dark unrepresented and we are not happy with that at all.