- Accuses Kekgonegile, Saleshando for inaction
Botswana Congress Party councilor who is also Okavango District Council (ODC) deputy chairman, Mpoke Karapo has confirmed his move to join the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) though he is yet to officially resign from the BCP.
The outspoken veteran opposition councilor recently shocked many in the political space when he was seen on social media addressing a BDP rally in Okavango wearing party regalia. In an interview, Karapo indicated that he has not yet written an official resignation letter to the BCP and that he intends to do that after the upcoming general elections.
While he was at first reluctant to share his reasons of leaving the BCP, but when pressed hard Karapo finally expressed his frustrations of how the party treated him during the primary elections. The councilor lost the elections to Philemon Aaron who garnered 1857 votes against his 1232 votes while former councilor, Jerson Kazombungo came third with 552 votes.
Karapo further criticized the BCP leader, Dumelang Saleshando and its secretary general, Goretetse Kekgonegile for paying no attention to his complains noting that its only member of parliament for Ngami constituency, Caterpillar Hikuama who at one point cared to call and inquire.
“I informed both the party president and secretary general about my concerns but they never bothered to respond, the only person who called to inquire was Hikuama,” he said. This he said made him lose interest in the BCP, a party he served for a very long time.
Prior to the primary elections, Karapo claims that there were instructions from some of the party’s leadership to have him vetted out. He said they wanted to use falsely as an excuse that he holds two political membership cards, that of the BCP and the ruling party.
He said that at one point, Aaron told him that Saleshando has instructed him to stand and that he (Karapo) should withdraw from the primary elections.” I challenged him to arrange for a meeting with Saleshando so that I can hear those words directly from himself but that never happened.”
When all that has failed, Karapo said he was shocked to discover that his opponent, Aaron’s campaigning team are the one conducting the election while there was none from his side who was involved in the process.
He further claimed that him and his team were even not allowed to cast their votes, “When I was supposed to cast my vote at Gumare polling station, I was chased away, with my opponent’s team members using offensive words against me. My polling agents were also physically attacked.”
Karapo added that threating messages were even sent to his campaign manager. This he said is the last straw that broke the camel’s back after he tried to hang in there for some time hoping that the party leadership will do something. “Today in their campaigns the focus is on me they don’t speak to what they have for Batswana. They even claim that I was bought into joining the BDP but that’s not true, I have never discussed any monetary exchange with anyone from the ruling party,” he added.
Meanwhile, Kekgonegile has indicated that they are aware that Karapo has joined BDP and wished him well in his new political home.
“He has served the party well for the past 20 years as a Councillor. It is unfortunate that he chose to quit the party due to democratic process of primary elections. Primary elections are enshrined in the party constitution and one of BCP core values. BCP cannot contrast its processes in the interest of one member,” the BCP secretary general said in an interview.
