BDP Kgatleng Cllrs And Branch Leaders Defect To BMD

EPHRAIM KEORENG
Staff Writer | Monday July 12, 2010 00:00

 

Councillors Joseph Setoutwe of Bogare, Solomon Ruele of Mosomane West - both from Kgatleng West constituency, together with Basimane Khumo Hule of Modipane/Dikwididi in Kgatleng East were paraded at the highly attended BMD rally. The defections reduce the number of BDP councillors in the Kgatleng District Council from 11 to eight. Kgatleng West MP and BMD official, Gilbert Mangole has said that another BDP councillor is on the way to the new party.

Besides the three councillors, the BMD received a number of leaders from the Kgatleng BDP branch, like secretary Poppie Ruele, her deputy Nonnki Modise and three additional members of the branch committee. Other leaders who defected are BDP women's wing branch secretary Sakalengwe Tshopwane and three ward chairpersons from Bogare, Mosanta and Makgophane.

The BMD is an offshoot of the ruling BDP. It has been feeding-off the BDP, disintegrating its structures in the branches and councils. Mangole told The Monitor over the weekend that they have covered a lot of ground in three of the 12 wards in his constituency and they are working on the remaining nine to recruit BDP activists and members to join the BMD.

'All the chairpersons of the nine wards are our members. They are still working on recruiting other BDP people to the BMD fold. We have had quite a good reception here especially from BDP members who are fed up with their party,' said Mangole, who is also a defector from the BDP.

Addressing the weekend rally, BMD interim deputy chairman, Botsalo Ntuane, said BDP branch leaders will continue to leave in large droves.

'Wherever President Ian Khama (of the BDP) addresses a rally people, will follow with resignations and come to BMD.

You saw that happen in Old Naledi when 1,600 BDP people left after Khama's rally. The same happened in Francistown.

Now he is in Tsamaya. Tonight he will learn that people in Kgatleng West have bolted from his party. By 2014 we are taking BDP out of power,' he said.-