Samson Moyo Guma

"I have not decided on a date yet but I have taken a decision to retire from partisan politics. The date will be announced and this will be before the end of my term as MP. I think I have done my part, I don’t want to find myself pointing fingers at people – two terms is fine."

"When I do take the decision to leave, I will not take part in any partisan politics. I am engaged in other institutions."

"My life continues but I want a private life."

"I do not want to partake in the confusion and the destruction of the values of this country. If these politicians want to destroy this country, let them do so without some of us. There are more important things to be concerned about than to be fighting for positions."

"We need to make sure that we have strong institutions."

"We need to review it. I am going to advocate for that."

"We should be very careful when we apply our laws."

"When I maintained that I am not leaving, Khama still went on to announce that I had left."

"They were in-fightings that were just too deep, so I decided to leave and rather operate as an independent. The BDP and Khama then came to me and pleaded with me to return. Out of courtesy I felt that if I was going to resist, people back home would think there was some sinister motive and so I decided to go back, at least just to finish off my term."

"The whole idea was that a motion of no confidence should be moved against me. (Shaw) Kgathi and (Vincent Seretse) VT tipped me to say that the caucus was up to something. The other thing was that the entire central committee was going to resign."

"At that point in time I was doing work in Zimbabwe. They went and closed my accounts. I was put in a corner and so I decided to leave. I phoned Khama and handed in my resignation, I told him he did not have to go that far. I did not leave on my own volition."

"One of the few people who were there for me during that time was Khama. Of course I had made my own network throughout the years."

"Before then Khama approached a couple of us to stand as independent candidates, but I proposed instead that we form a party. The process began and the late Panzirah led the formation of the party and the coordination."

"Guma finally leaves troubled BPF 27 March 2003"

"Just like President Ian Khama said, I wish I had known about this thing before I accepted an appointment as a Minister."

"Why ambush me. I am at a loss. I believe the whole thing is more political than anything.” In his anger, even his party colleagues are not spared."

"I am a fighter. I will not crawl and beg when I am under attack. I will take them on ÔÇô one by one."

"I have never seen such malice. The BDP members have been the most vociferous."

"What a coincidence!"

"I even listened to a conversation in which one party functionary who holds a position in one of the sub-committees told opposition Member of Parliament, Dumelang Saleshando, that I am involved in corruption."

"If the BDP wants to destroy itself it’s fine. I have no problem with that. But they should leave the country intact. The country is much bigger than any political parties."

"I believed what he told me and I still believe it today. Out of respect for him and his office and believing in what he told me, I do not see any need to take the matter any further from where it is."

"whatever we do as public officers must be done in the interest of the public."

"You must be able to distinguish errors of judgment and decisions taken in good faith and in this particular case by the president. I do not think he needed to explain anything to me but he did. He had no pressure to make a public announcement. But he did ÔÇôand for that ÔÇô I give him credit."

"It makes me sad to see him making this kind of an announcement. As a Head of State, the President is a father of the nation and must never be put in a position that compromises his judgment. All those who advise him must put the interest of the nation first."

"An eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth makes all toothless and blind."

"It was fast. It happened quickly and I had to take cover before bouncing back."

"The president apologized to me. I wasn’t expecting it."

"I was taken by surprise when the president called me and informed me about it. He categorically told me that there were issues of conflict of interest concerning me before I became MP. He told me about the investigations but he did not tell me that I would be charged."

"I will not be active in politics for now."

"The assignment I am engaged in does not permit me to be in active politics, hence I have a taken a break from politics and will not be running in the coming general elections."