Man accuses Deputy Speaker of taking his granddaughter
‘That man kidnapped and killed my grandson!’ – Moathodi
National Assembly Deputy Speaker, Pono ‘PPP’ Moathodi finds himself at the centre of a potentially explosive situation involving a five-year-old girl currently residing at his house in Tonota.
According to the child’s grandfather, Batshani Robert Mokani, Moathodi’s family, took the little girl from him just before Christmas and have kept a tight hold on her ever since.
“Their son has been dating my daughter, but they are not married, and my granddaughter is not related to the Moathodi family in any way!” declared Mokani.
He told The Voice that his daughter had a baby boy with Moathodi’s son, but the toddler tragically drowned in a bucket last August.
The visibly distressed Mokani further explained that his daughter’s other child, the five-year-old first born, was sired by a different father.
Growing increasingly upset as he bears his soul to The Voice, the irate granddad pointed to last year’s tragic drowning as the source of all the current problems.
The one-year old fell into a 20-litre bucket whilst under the care of a domestic worker at Mokani’s yard. The Zimbabwean lady, who had no legal documents, was questioned and later released.
Mokani said that since the young victim’s burial, his relationship with the Moathodis soured as they blamed him for the death of their grandson.
“They gave my daughter a house in Francistown, and took my granddaughter, who’s not related to them in anyway. As the granddad, I’m not allowed anywhere near her,” cried Mokani, who had previously been looking after the little girl at his house.
“What kind of arrangement is this? It is traditionally not acceptable, even if they went through ‘re a nyalana’ programme, I still have to be involved,” charged Mokani, adding that all his efforts to find a solution to the problem have failed.
“I’ve been to the District Commissioner’s office, Social Workers and the Customary Court, but so far nothing is working!”
Mokani said initially they were scheduled to meet with Moathodi on Valentine’s Day to discuss the issue, but it did not materialize as PPP never showed up.
“I know my daughter is old enough to decide what she wants to do with her children, but my problem is she’s on drugs, a habit she picked from that useless boyfriend of hers. They’ve successfully turned her against me using wealth and influence,” added Mokani.
“I’m warning Moathodi that he should be nice to people on his way up because he’ll meet them on his way down,” was Mokani’s fiery parting shot.
Confronted with the accusations, Moathodi, who was about to leave for an international Parliamentary meeting in Saudi Arabia, did not hold back, similarly warning Mokani to stay away from his family.
“That man kidnapped my grandson and killed him, he then tried to pin it on the Zimbabwean domestic worker,” was Moathodi’s angry opening response to The Voice.
The Deputy Speaker, who’s also Tonota Member of Parliament (MP), insisted Mokani has no right to accuse him of anything.
“This is a man who neglected his own daughter. My heart is still sore from what they did to my grandson,” he said.
The Tonota MP said his wife, who is currently staying with the little girl, has long warned him that Mokani is planning to tarnish his name.
“I learnt recently that he was harassing his daughter, and they had a fallout; ask her, she’ll tell you,” maintained Moathodi.
Indeed, when reached for comment, the mother to the child at the centre of the storm, Rebaone Mokani, 36, put the blame squarely on her father, who she said chased her out of the house after the burial of her son.
“He wants me to break up with my boyfriend but I won’t. I’m old enough to make decisions about my life and kids. I was chased out and had nowhere to go, and the Moathodi family took me in, and I brought my daughter with me,” she said.
