Ex-BDP stalwart, Kgalajwe defects to BPF
Lebogang Mosikare | Friday June 14, 2019 13:35
Kgalajwe, a veteran Councillor for Satellite North ward in Francistown East and former city Mayor told Mmegi in an interview that it was indeed true that he has left the BDP for the BPF.
“I had initially decided to stand as an independent candidate but I changed my mind after the formation of BPF. I formally wrote my resignation letter to the BDP Francistown East constituency branch secretary, Boikanyo Bateng, two weeks ago.
I also copied the letter to Francistown region chairperson Baemedi Medupi and BDP secretary general, Mpho Balopi,” said Kgalajwe, who is now a nominated councillor in the Francistown City Council.
He went on: “I am now happy that BPF was formally registered as a party on Wednesday. The structures of the BDP in Francistown East are crumbling like a deck of cards.
Already, some BDP supporters have followed me to the BPF. I have already assembled a strong team that will assist me during my political brainstorm in the constituency.”
Asked if Kgalajwe has officially resigned from the BDP, Bateng said: “Yes, it is true that he has officially resigned from the BDP through a letter I received about two weeks back. We wish him good luck at his new political home.” Bateng said that as a party, they are ordinarily very worried if any of their members leave the party for the opposition because losing one member is one too many especially people who used to hold influential positions in the party like Kgalajwe.
“We are surprised why Kgalajwe left the BDP for the BPF because he pledged his support for the BDP and current Francistown East Member of Parliament, Buti Billy. He made the pledge during the Francistown East branch congress that we held after the primary elections.
We are astonished by Kgalajwe’s move to ditch the BDP when only a few months are left before the general elections,” said a worried Bateng.
Bateng also conceded that Kgalajwe’s move from the BDP may give the opposition Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) parliamentary candidate Morgan Moseki, the chance to finally wrestle the constituency from the BDP. Moseki has tried for the umpteenth time to win the constituency from the BDP without success. In the last general elections Billy garnered 3,818 votes to Moseki’s 3,573-a paltry difference of 245 votes.
Another candidate, Theresa Mmolawa, formerly of the UDC garnered 1,067 votes. Mmolawa has since defected to the Alliance for Progressives (AP) in the aftermath of the infamous Bobonong congress that was rocked by violence.
Taking into consideration the election results of 2014, most people are of the view that the real fight in the upcoming general elections would be between Billy and Moseki.
However, numbers may count for nothing in politics because a lot of factors and dynamics may come into play. Moving on, Bateng vehemently refuted Kgalajwe’s assertion that the BDP structures in Francistown East were collapsing.
“Our structures in the constituency are very intact although we are worried that Kgalajwe may recruit some voters from the BDP to his party which may reduce our support base.
This is so because he worked with a lot of them for a very long time in the party and knows them very well unlike the opposition quarters,” he explained.
Bateng added: “The most influential person in the constituency is the branch secretary who is still with the BDP and has no intentions of leaving it in future for any party. Currently, I know of only three people who have defected with Kgalajwe to the BPF contrary to what he may have told you.”
It remains to be seen if former president Ian Khama’s influence would have any significant impact in Francistown East. Khama has recently vowed that he would do anything in his power to make sure that his successor, President Mokgweetsi Masisi and the BDP lose the upcoming polls.
Analysts are of the opinion that the Khama-factor looms menacingly large for the BDP in the eagerly anticipated elections that some predict would be closely contested.