The latest to cut ties with the party is former Matsitama ward Councillor, Moipidi Molobeng. He resigned from the BDP with immediate effect and subsequently joined the Botswana National Front (BNF), which is a coalition partner in the ruling Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC). Molobeng, who represented Matsitama ward for two consecutive terms, first won the council seat during the 2014 General Election and retained it in 2019. However, his political fortunes changed in the 2024 elections when he lost the ward to David Kgosi, who contested the seat under the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) ticket. In his resignation letter, Molobeng thanked the BDP and its members for the opportunity, experience and camaraderie he enjoyed during his years of service as a councillor. He did not initially disclose the reasons for his departure, simply stating that he had decided to move on. “I have decided that it is time for me to move on to a new chapter in my personal and political journey,” he wrote.
However, in an interview with Mmegi, Molobeng said his decision was largely influenced by what he described as growing disappointment amongst Matsitama residents with the BDP. He said residents who supported him during his two terms in office have lost confidence in the former ruling party and made it clear that they would not support him again if he continued contesting under the party. He said residents were particularly frustrated by what he described as decades of underdevelopment in Matsitama despite the village historically being considered a BDP stronghold. “People are losing interest in the BDP and there is nothing left for me there since the people who had previously sent me to represent them have lost hope in that party,” he explained. “Residents are not happy with BDP at all and as someone who puts the interests of the people at the forefront, I agree with them that BDP has failed us as the people of Matsitama.” Molobeng noted that during his tenure as a councillor, he repeatedly advocated for developments in the village, but many of the promises made to residents were never fulfilled. He singled out the poor condition of an 11-kilometre road serving the village as one of the major challenges facing Matsitama.
