Balopi is new BDP secretary general

RYDER GABATHUSE
Staff Writer | Tuesday September 6, 2011 00:00

 

BDP acting executive secretary, Lee Lesetedi told Mmegi that Balopi was nominated and seconded without opposition for the position left vacant after the recent resignation of Kanye North MP, Kentse Rammidi.

He said the unanimous decision was a sign of confidence in Balopi who was elected a member of the central committee in July at the party elective congress held at Madiba Senior Secondary School in Mahalapye.  The election was done through the controversial compromise list promoted by President Ian Khama.  The compromise list was adopted in a bid to bring peace to the troubled BDP house.

Balopi is a relative of the former speaker of Parliament and ex-cabinet minister, Patrick Balopi, who is now a ruling party elder.  He is associated with Native Impressions.  He becomes the seventh, BDP secretary general after former president Sir Ketumile Masire, ex-cabinet minister and current BDP chairman, Daniel Kwelagobe, Jacob Nkate, Gomolemo Motswaledi, Thato Kwerepe and Rammidi.  Motswaledi, Rammidi and Kwerepe are the shortest serving BDP secretary generals while Kwelagobe is the longest serving.

After he was given the nod to become BDP secretary general, the 42-year-old Balopi said an institution is always bigger than an individual.  He stated that one of his immediate challenges although he is yet to consult with the relevant party stakeholders is to ensure that the party functions like a fully serviced machine.

'It is my challenge to ensure that the party structures are fully functional.  Unity is paramount and it is one of the things that we should ensure prevails in the ruling party,' said Balopi.

'I have been humbled by the 100 percent support of the central committee members,' he added.  He said the peaceful atmosphere that prevailed at yesterday's meeting of the central committee could be a sign of good things to come.

He said the BDP as a collective is determined to deliver to Batswana as a party in government. 'We are determined to deliver to Batswana and face all the challenges bedeviling society as that is our brief,' he stated.

The BDP Central Committee has at the same sitting nominated councillor Ponatshego Tshiping as an additional member.

The changes have been necessitated after Rammidi quit the party to become an independent MP.  The legislator left saying that the ruling party has become a one-man dictatorship.  The BDP has not replaced Comma Serema whose term as executive secretary has come to an end.  Lesetedi has been acting since the departure of Serema.