Madibela-Tlhopho in ‘defence’ of democracy
Ryder Gabathuse | Tuesday October 8, 2024 12:16
He does not filter his language when he speaks about the process of elections. He has a strong belief that for the past 12 parliamentary polls, the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) has not been so popular like its popular vote reflects, giving the party the government for over five decades.
His take is that, the BDP has been exposed by its Bulela-Ditswe primaries where he is convinced there was massive ‘rigging’. He now has fear that this method of winning the elections might be taken into the 2024 General Election.
“We are worried that Bulela-Ditswe primaries have exposed the dirty strategies that the BDP would possibly employ to steal the national votes. We want to inform the nation that the BDP has become a threat to our democracy by rigging elections,” the militant Keakopa told Mmegionline.
He indicated that losing the Goodhope-Mmathethe primaries, Peggy Serame complained that there was massive ‘rigging tactics’ that were allegedly employed by Edwin Dikoloti whose 1,700 primaries votes victory was nullified earning him a 60-day suspension from the party. He was also fired as Minister of Health. Keakopa was also quick to remember allegations raised by Agriculture Assistant Minister Molebatsi Molebatsi who also complained of ‘massive rigging.”
He says, if anyone wants to know how ‘rigging’ is done in the BDP, and then one can simply enquire from Serame who has lived it before the party leadership chose to suspend Dikoloti who has since returned to the constituency as an independent candidate. He claimed that Serame had complained that about 2,000 voters were improperly registered and were duly removed from the party voters roll. Whilst in Molebatsi’s claims, he claims that some people voted multiple times.
In one incident, he told us, Gaborone North losing candidate Lotty Manyepedza was given a rude awakening with his name, that of his spouse, other family members and supporters were hauled outside the constituency where he contested, literally throwing him out of the contest.
Madibela-Tlhopho has vowed to join hands with the people including the BDP activists.
“At the moment, some BDP volunteers are assisting us with how elections have been stolen in their party (BDP). It’s a journey that will help us close the gaps as we prepare for October polls. We are going to stop the theft of the votes,” he vowed.
In his view, verification of the voters roll entails checking even ineligible people from the voters.
“If you can remember very well, we long requested the IEC to send us (UDC) electronic (soft copy) version of the roll just from January when registration commenced and the IEC secretariat refused. You would wonder why they are refusing,” he said.
In the previous registrations, Madibela-Tlhopho had access to the soft copy of the voters roll and to him the soft copy, “simplifies the inspection of the voters rolls.” The electoral law according to Keakopa says the voters rolls should be inspected so that people could have timeous objections if any.
The UDC has been buying hard copies of the rolls and now he claims it’s extremely difficult for them as they now have piles and piles of rolls.
“You can imagine having to grapple with over one million registered voters to convert the roll into a soft copy. What I can tell you, however, is that we have finally managed to create a soft copy and in a few days, we are going to assist Batswana to check the voters roll with ease and inspect, albeit the statutory inspection time has lapsed,” he noted.
Madibela-Tlhopho is set to release the soft copies of the rolls so that Batswana could see how things are done.
“You are going to people crying foul that they are missing from the voters rolls. This whole thing amounts to stealing elections. What the BDP did, denying us to have soft copies of rolls, we have overcome that. And we are giving the people the rolls because the elections are for the people and not Madibela-Tlhopho,” he promised.
He holds a strong opinion that the Directorate of Intelligence Security (DIS) and the IEC have been used to twist the people’s views through the polls. Now, they expect there will be friction between them and the two bodies as they continue scrutinising the processes of the elections.
Madibela-Tlhopho has set itself targets to ensure Botswana’s elections are conducted under a free and fair atmosphere and with no cheating at all.
Keakopa quoted his party president Duma Boko when launching Molepolole North parliamentary candidate Arafat Khan where he promised that, “There will be no theft of votes in 2024 General Election.”
Madibela-Tlhopho believes that the UDC was able to win majority of council by-elections because the party was able to guard against possibilities of foul play in the polls.
Buoyed by their successes, Mdibela-Tlhopho have promised to ensure parties win or lose according without a possibility of cheating as he claims was the case in the past polls.
In previous interviews, the BDP through its spokesperson had rubbished the UDC worries as unfounded and without substance.