Rakgare Eyes Mogoditshane
Innocent Selatlhwa | Monday October 8, 2018 12:48
He will however not have an easy ride as other democrats including former legislator Patrick Masimolole, are positioning themselves.
“Rakgare will seek to replace Mabaila as the BDP candidate. Some BDP members believe that he can win it for them as he was a BDP member before and garnered a good number of votes in 2014. He will be hoping that he gets a waiver to allow him to contest even though he is a newcomer,” a source said.
The former Botswana Congress Party (BCP) Youth League president has not confirmed that he has rejoined the BDP, which he left in 2012. This is because his employer Botswana Public Employees Union (BOPEU) does not allow him to be politically active. Following the split of Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD), Rakgare and some BCP members in Mogoditshane believed he was the suitable candidate to replace Sedirwa Kgoroba. He grew frustrated as the BMD went shopping elsewhere for candidates and ended up identifying expelled democrat Bruce Nkgakile.
It was then that Rakgare who has a close relationship with current BDP leader Mokgweetsi Masisi moved swiftly to quit the BCP and return to the BDP with the hope that Mabaila who was facing disciplinary action would make way for him.
Kgoroba won the constituency for UDC with 4,180 with Rakgare being voted by 3,846 while Masimolole got 3,787 votes.
Rakgare would not comment on the issue stating that his employer would not be impressed with him talking politics.
Quizzed on how they would advance, BDP secretary general Mpho Balopi said they are yet to map the way forward.
“We are yet to map a way forward as we are yet to get a full report on the matter and other disciplinary issues from the disciplinary committee. We are meeting tomorrow (Monday) and map way forward,” he said.
Though he confirmed that Rakgare is a BDP member, Balopi was quick to state that there was no link between Rakgare’s membership and suspension of Mabaila.