The �I Do� of Kgalagadi
Zolani Kraai | Thursday August 28, 2014 06:00
Some of his political opponents hail him as an easy man to interact with. He will be contesting the now merged Lokgwabe/Tshane council seat. He is the third member of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) to win the Lokgwabe council seat after Otlaadisa Ditshetelo and Kelopile Kebadireng.
The 49-year-old Leshope attended primary school in his home village of Lokgwabe and went to secondary school in Lehutshelo. “I went up to Form Three and joined active politics in 1999,” he said. He was encouraged to become a politician by Kebadireng.
“I used to debate a lot while at secondary school and that is where I gained the momentum to articulate political matters, particularly social development,” Leshope said. He said he used to rally behind Kebadireng and attend full council meetings to listen to deliberations.
“I also pay must respect and gratitude to the late Zol Moapare, former Kgalagadi District Council chairperson (2004-2009) who in 2006 motivated me by awarding me a trophy as the best councillor. I preceded my brother in politics, the current MP, Phillip Khwae and the awarding of trophies were based on the ability of one to debate and articulate issues during full council meetings,” Leshope explained.
He said BDP veteran and political heavyweight, Daniel Kwelagobe and BDP secretary general, Mpho Balopi have always been his mentors in politics. “While my colleagues strived to excel academically in various fields, I opted to go the political way and it inspired me so much that I have no regrets.
I interacted with the villagers and I got a lot of support from them as I was to be elected a member of the Lokgwabe Village Development Committee. I regarded that as a turning point in my life when I was elected chairperson of VDC and served for several years before I became the councillor for Lokgwabe,” he said.
When he became a councillor, he says his ward did not have electricity and faced water shortages. “With the spirit of cooperation that has always existed among the villagers, I managed to convince people to contribute for the maintenance of the borehole. Before long, government answered our call and a second borehole was drilled for us,” said Leshope.
The councillor said he was at the forefront of lobbying Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) to reduce the connection tariffs from P18,000 to P5,000 in the area. He said he coordinated the affirmative action component in the district thus making sure that developments are bridged between the extreme rural and rural areas.
“We facilitated the no tax clearance system for at least potential business in the eight settlements in Kalahari north so that they could benefit from the tender processes.
“I also want to appreciate the support we have been receiving from companies and individuals who provided their generous support to the needy in our district.
Our poverty eradication programme is on the right track as well and this through my leadership in making sure that the coordination of projects is effective for smooth implementation,” said Leshope.
He is planning to fight to lift the ban on hunting because Lokgwabe is one of the hunting villages in Kgalagadi. “I am planning to approach the relevant department to advise as to how we can form a trust that will eventually oversee the hunting in the village. We also want to be involved in trophy hunting,” he said.
With support from the department of museum and art gallery, he wants to utilise Katlwe Pan that has caves to attract tourists to the village. “One particular site in our village that we would want tourists to be attracted to is the burial site of our ancestral chief, Simon Cooper.
“Kgosi Cooper migrated from Namibia with a number of Bakgothu and settled here in Lokgwabe and as such, we value his contribution to the history of the village and the district as a whole,” said Leshope.
He stated that plans are underway to construct a cultural village at Phuduhudu near Kang at an estimated cost of P3.2 million.
“The idea is to eventually transform the cultural village into an educational platform that will see children visiting to learn about the culture and traditions of Bakgalagadi,” he explained.