10 Oct 2016

Chairperson of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) and Vice President Mr Mokgweetsi Masisi on Sunday (October 9) welcomed 105 new members to the party in Kanye .

When welcoming them, Mr Masisi said the BDP recruitment drive was continuous and that the party remained the only alternative political home for Batswana.

The BDP members were also celebrating Kanye North Member of Parliament, Mr Patrick Ralotsia’s victory in the constituency.

Mr Masisi urged BDP members to welcome new members with open arms and induct them into the party practices and policies. 

He implored both the old and new members of the party to ensure that the new members settled well in the party.

He said the BDP had the welfare of Batswana at heart, hence coming up with initiatives to improve lives of the less privileged members of the society.

He further urged party members to fight against factionalism and work towards unity as a group of disciplined members striving for a common goal.

He urged new members to go out and recruit more new members. He urged party members to continue informing Batswana that the BDP was still the only party that could represent their ideals.

He criticised opposition parties for what he said was a tendency to dismiss BDP’s economic empowerment programmes as nothing but a strategy to gain political mileage.

Fomer opposition members Mr Lotty Manyapedza and Mr Ditiro Majadibodu explained why they left opposition parties to join BDP.

Mr Manyapeza said he did not leave because of any mistreatment or oppression, but decided to join the BDP because he realised it was a visionary party.

For his part, Mr Majadibodu said he made up his mind to join the BDP because it remained the only party with sensible policies that had graduated most Batswana from abject poverty.

 He alledged that in the opposition parties, members were fighting for positions.

He said opposition parties were being terrorised by internal fights and hatred. 

Mr Majadibodu said initiatives such as the Ipelegeng, agricultural programmes, free education and  medical services had benefited individuals despite persistent criticism from opposition.

One of the new members, Mr Victor Makuku said he had always sold the BDP policies even at the time he was an independent candidate.

He further said he could no longer speak against the BDP policies because most Batswana gave testimonies of how they had impacted them positively.

Mr Ralotsia thanked electorates for voting for the ruling party in the last general elections. 

He also thanked them for electing him to be their MP.

Mr Ralotsia who is also Minister of Agriculture, Development and Food Security said government had developed the country to middle income status. 

He said the country was peaceful and stable, adding that there was freedom of expression.

He said in the olden days there were few Batswana who graduated, but today each and every family had a graduate. 

He said they were free to welcome those who wanted to re-join the BDP. ENDS