Dipate�s 30-year quest for Parliament
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Friday May 30, 2014 15:56
During that period, he has lost twice in the general elections to the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) parliamentary candidates, and twice at the opposition parties’ primaries.
The 64-year-old native of Thamaga first entered active politics at the age of 20 when he was recruited by the late Mareledi Giddie to the Botswana National Front (BNF). From1974, he held various positions in his party including treasurer and Kweneng Regional vice chairperson.
When the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) broke off from the BNF in 1998, he was among the leaders spearheading its formation.
But before the BCP stint, still a fresh BNF activist, Dipate first tried his luck in the general elections against the late Englishman Kgabo of the BDP in 1984 in the Kweneng South constituency (now Thamaga-Kumakwane) and lost. Five years later, when the then vice-president, the late Peter Mmusi relocated to Kweneng South, Dipate tried his luck again and lost.
He then focused back on business and the party structures and the next BDP legislator for the constituency, Gladys Kokorwe took on and won against BNF’s Lazarus Monare in 1994. When 1999 came and BNF needed a leader in Dipate to challenge a seemingly week Kokorwe, he had decamped to BCP, and a young Kopano Rannatshe was thrown in the deep end.
Dipate, now a leading figure in the BCP took to Gaborone North in 2003 and stood in what he thought was a easy challenge against then ‘youngster’ Moncho Moncho who had just returned from studies abroad. To the surprise of many, Dipate lost. For five years, he sort of faded into the political wilderness, until he re-emerged in his home base in 2008, and re-joined the BNF. The veteran went back to home base and threw his hat in the primaries against Rannatshe, who was by then an established contender in the Kweneng South, and lost.
Despite all these bruising losses, Dipate, a well known and respected businessman, is pressing on, and believes his time has come and he will return the once proud BNF strong base home. Many are banking on him to make proud followers of the late BNF president, Dr Kenneth Koma, the first MP for Gaborone South, by winning the constituency.
He attributes his previous losses to lack of funds and resources. “I failed to reach certain areas while my competitors managed to do so because their party had money and vehicles. If you contest for elections, you should be able to have strong campaign teams that need to be assisted financially but in opposition parties people do so voluntarily.”
Dipate says at times their challenge, as an opposition party is that they take time educating people on why it is important to vote their parties than the BDP. But now he is confident that the people will take him to the National Assembly. “Gaborone South residents have suffered. They still fetch their water from standpipes because they do not have title deeds for their homes. The painful thing is that they have long waited for council officials to help them process their title deeds in order to connect water in their yards. Some do not have electricity in their houses,” he says.
Dipate says the constituency, especially the Old Naledi ward, is home to the poorest of the poor and the most urban illiterate. He says the majority of people in the area are unemployed and spend most of their time idling. Dipate is pained by the fact that the schools in the constituency are performing badly because of the economic status of residents. He says for many years, the final examinations results for the schools in the area have not been impressive.
He is also troubled by the fact that the Gaborone City Council (GCC) has hiked money to pump pit latrines and now they are over spilling. He explains that previously it cost P50 to pump pit latrines but now it is costs P250, for residents the majority of whom are unemployed. This has resulted in sewerage water spilling in to the yards and streets, positing serious health risks to the residents.
Dipate was born in the Marang ward in Thamaga and is married with five children. A banker by profession, the opposition politics veteran is also a farmer and businessman of repute. He runs one of the best-established and well-known meat operations, Lobame Butchery, and bar in Bontleng.
He describes himself as a humble and down to earth person who deserves to represent them in Parliament. His hobbies include watching football and baseball. In the October general elections, Dipate is facing former BNF Gaborone South MP, Akanyang Magama, who has since decamped to the BCP, and MP Kagiso Molatlhegi of the ruling party.