Molepolole councillor quits BDP over car

NNASARETHA KGAMANYANE
Correspondent | Wednesday August 29, 2012 00:00

the chairman of Kweneng District Council, Councillor Motlhophi Leo, announced at a full council meeting in Molepolole yesterday.

Leo said he did not know why Mokgalajwe had resigned from the BDP but would inform the council if the former BDP councillor joined another party. However, Mokgalajwe has told Mmegi that he left the BDP because he felt mistreated and could not deliver on his promises to the electorate.

He said interference in his personal affairs by the party's secretary general, Mpho Balopi, had hastened his exit.

'Balopi called me on July 25 during the Mogoditshane/Thamaga Sub-District full council and told me to reconcile with police officers who assaulted me earlier this year after a car dealer accused me of stealing a car that he sold me in a bad condition and I returned it,' he alleged.

'The man gave me another car to use while I waited for him to repair the one that I had bought, but after days passed by without hearing a word from him, I went to ask him why he did not abide by his promise to return my car fixed or bring back my money.'

He said after his arrest, the car dealer (whose name is known to Mmegi) told the police that he had stolen the car. 'But even though the police were told that I did not steal the car, they assaulted me,' he said. 'So I pressed charges against them. I was surprised when Balopi called me and told me to drop the charges against those officers and reconcile with the car dealer who has altered our agreement by raising the price of a car that was worth P35,000 to P85,000. The car that I bought was worth P90,000.

'I refuse to pay the mechanics as I am not responsible for the damages on it. I want my car back because I am holding its bluebook and have spent a lot of money on it. I cannot agree to replace it with a cheaper car. I don't know why that car dealer is doing that to me as I have been buying cars from him all these years!' he fumed.

Mokgalajwe said Balopi told him to solve this matter because the BDP does not want him to bring disrepute to the party. 'I felt that he wanted me out of the party as he told me that he does not want leina la party le tladiwa leswe (the party's name to be dragged in the mud),' he added.

Says Mokgalajwe in his resignation letter: 'In an impromptu meeting on July 25, 2012 between myself, Kweneng BDP regional chairman, Leo and BDP Secretary General, Balopi at his office, it was suggested to me this option was a means availed for me to save the party from alleged disrepute.

'It is not I reiterate, it has never been my intention, forethought or otherwise to bring the BDP into disrepute. I resign from the party for its good.' Attempts to reach Balopi proved futile as his mobile phone rang unanswered.