Balopi caught trafficking voters again
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Friday November 2, 2018 15:00
New information suggests that Mpho Balopi also trafficked voters from Mogoditshane to register in his constituency.
Mmegi has learnt that Balopi used the football tournament he recently organised in his constituency to lure unsuspecting potential voters to register in Gaborone North constituency by offering them P200 each.
This newspaper on Wednesday met with 10 youths who were taken to play football during the tournament and told this reporter that one of the requirements was to bring their Identity Cards (Omang).
The youths who all reside at Kgatleng ward in Mogoditshane said that they were divided into two polling stations being Ledumang Primary School and Diagane Thuto Primary School.
Mmegi team also managed to meet with some of the parents of the trafficked youths who were shocked that their children had been registered in Gaborone North.
They all registered on September 22, 2018, the same day the tournament took place. While nine others were not ready to have their names published fearing victimisation, one Dennis Molongwa said that he has nothing to hide as he was speaking the truth.
“We are BDP members and we do not know where they took our numbers. One BDP member that I cannot name came to us before the tournament day and told us that there is a football tournament for the party and one of the requirements was to bring our Omang.
“Therefore, we were requested to go and participate since we do play Sunday soccer in Mogoditshane. We did not have a problem going to represent the area. A combi was arranged to pick us up and before we were taken to the tournament, one woman and the driver told us that it is important for us to register for elections at Gaborone North constituency for Balopi to be able to take care of us. They said they will reward us with P200 each, which they did,” Molongwa deposed.
Molongwa added that they were given plot numbers to use when they registered and were told that they would be contacted again at election time.
Balopi will contest in the 2019 general elections against Alliance for Progressives’ Haskins Nkaigwa while Umbrella for Democratic Change is yet to confirm a replacement for Sydney Pilane after his party, the Botswana Movement for Democracy, was expelled from the coalition.
Contacted for comment, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) spokesperson, Osupile Maroba said that if it is found that some people have registered away from their area of residence, they could be struck off the roll and be charged or imprisoned.
“If some people can make objection on the voters’ roll inspection on some of the names and bring evidence that those people do not reside in that area, then they could be struck off the roll. Again, a person could be charged P1,000 or imprisonment not exceeding six months. People should also report this illegal act to the police,” Maroba said.
However, Balopi could not answer his phone and at some point he switched it off after Mmegi sent him a message.