Another top BDP activist resigns

Pini Bothoko | Wednesday April 23, 2014 11:48

 

The businessman had been contesting and losing in the party primary elections to the Member of Parliament for Tonota North Constituency Fidelis Molao since 2009.

Daniel confirmed having resigned from the party last Wednesday, adding that he will run as an independent candidate against Molao.

“Yes it is true I have resigned. I have so many reasons.  If I was at the office I could be faxing you the letter. Eish ke lapile (I am tired).  I just want to stay away from medumo e, ke ko ke betswe ke phefo (noises so as to breathe fresh air),” he said. He revealed that last week Monday, he was summoned for a disciplinary hearing over the calendars he printed and distributed to electorates last year wishing them a Merry Christmas and happy New Year.

“The party leadership thought I was campaigning with those calendars. I came for a hearing and they said I was not guilty. But they said they were still going to investigate the matter in the constituency,” he said.

Daniel said he felt uncomfortable about what they said to him and decided to resign from the party with immediate effect.

“How can people call you for a hearing and pronounce you not guilty and yet say they were still to investigate you? Ke belaetse gore ba batla go mpatela molato (I suspected they wanted trumped up charges for me).

“That is the reason I decide to quit,” he said. Daniel said his problems with the party started after last year’s primary elections in which he lost with 1,520 to Molao’s 3,244. “I protested because there was ballot stuffing but I never received a reply,” he said.

He said that he appealed so many times to the region and to the party secretary general, Mpho Balopi, to no avail. When his appeals were dismissed, Daniel admits he became disgruntled.

He said that now he wants to give Shashe West Constituency electorates a chance to vote for the one they want between him and Molao as he will be contesting as an independent candidate. “This is not a secret. I am going to register my name at the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) as an independent candidate and people in that area will vote for the person they want. “This time in the general elections there will be no cheating like in the party primary elections,” said Daniel.

In February, the BDP suspended Daniel from the party for 60 days.

Then, the BDP executive secretary, Sechele Sechele said Daniel was suspended because “he had been engaging in acts of serious misconduct that brought the party into disrepute”.

Yesterday Sechele confirmed Daniel’s resignation. He said that they had called Daniel to explain why he was campaigning in the constituency whilst the party had a candidate, and that he then decided to resign from the party.