Balopi, who didn’t defend his secretary-general (SG) position at the party’s last congress in Tsabong, told the media yesterday that his mission in case he wins at the party’s elective congress in May is to ask for forgiveness. He mentioned names like former Lobatse Member of Parliament (MP) Dr Thapelo Matsheka, Kgosi Mosadi Seboko of the Bamalete, the Khama family, and the Bangwato tribe. Masisi relegated Matsheka, the former Finance minister, from presiding over the country’s coffers to a junior minister of Infrastructure and Housing Development before eventually serving in the backbench towards the latter years of the 12th Parliament. Matsheka has in the past bemoaned the ill-treatment and abuse he experienced at the hands of the feared Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS) during his tenure as a legislator.
Matsheka, who is suing the security organ, indicated that it was a malicious act for the DIS to portray him as a criminal. Balopi has also indicated that he will apologise to Balete chief Kgosi Mosadi who also suffered under Masisi’s regime. In 2022, Kgosi Mosadi Seboko, the Kgosikgolo of Ba Ga-Malete sent tongues wagging when she made allegations that Masisi interfered with the Judiciary and wanted to play hero in the dispute between the Malete Land Board and the Bamalete over the lucrative Forest Hill 9-KO. Masisi later defended himself saying that had he interfered as alleged, Balete would have lost the case. Although her tribe eventually won the case, Kgosi Mosadi was later removed from the Pan African Parliament (PAP) as punishment.
Ultimately, the BDP ended up losing the Bamalete constituency to the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) at the 2024 General Election. Balopi also pointed out that he wants to apologise to the Khama family as they suffered at the height of the Masisi-Khama feud. Balopi said he would apologise to the Bangwato tribe who also suffered and couldn’t use their main kgotla in Serowe. Khama and his brother, Tshekedi Khama, missed their eldest sibling’s funeral in 2022. Ian Khama, who was in self-imposed exile in South Africa, indicated then that he feared for his life and couldn’t give his sister her final send-off. Balopi yesterday promised to apologise to the Bangwato royal family if he wins the presidential seat in Maun. Balopi said if he gets elected, together with other members of the central committee, they will seek permission from members to ask for forgiveness from displeased and estranged BDP members. “We won't just apologise to individuals, but we will also ask for forgiveness from communities and tribes we might have hurt during our tenure,” he said.
Balopi said they would also apologise to the chiefs who helped build the nation. He said these people were forced out of the party because of the way things were done at the time. “We ask for forgiveness and we will continue doing that,” he said, adding that the first act of forgiveness is for one to admit that they have made a mistake.
