Sebati explains his resignation from AP

OFF TO BDP: Sebati

Former Alliance for Progressives (AP) Central Committee member, Moalosi Sebati, says the party has nothing left to offer but to close house and retrace its steps back to Botswana Democratic Party (BDP).

Moalosi, who was AP’s Deputy Secretary General when he resigned on April 14, 2021, explained that the alleged mass exodus of AP membership to the BDP in Maun West confirms the party’s waning existence.

“We want fair and honest leaders who do not degrade civil liberties of citizens. But AP leadership wanted to work closely and in unity with former president Ian Khama through BPF (Botswana Patriotic Front). So I feel they have lost focus and direction. It’s disappointing that they intend to join forces with Khama whom we have been opposing ever since we were still at the BMD. That is why I quit,” Sebati explained.

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Khama left the BDP soon after the end of his tenure in 2018 and has since helped form another opposition party, BPF.

“Ninety percent of people who formed AP were from BMD. We left BMD due to arrogance, dictatorship and self serving leadership, but these are the characteristics we are seeing at AP today and they are a total turn off to say the least. What we see in AP now is more of political expediency than principle!”

Sebati who was AP’s 2019 parliamentary hopeful was speaking at Thito ward where he runs a bar next to a bottle store which is run by AP’s former Maun West branch committee member, Kethata Selabe who has also joined the BDP. Selabe served AP in Maun West as its branch Vice Chairperson.

The duo denied allegations that the BDP bought them with the new businesses. “Selabe opened in December and I opened before them, but we did not do it through BDP money because they have not given us anything. We chose BDP because it remains a better alternative for us. It is the most principled and stable party. Of course president Mokgwetsi Masisi is not a perfect leader. He has his own flaws but he is a better leader from all these other party presidents in the country,” Sebati said.

“I feel the opposition at large lacks seriousness of commitment to effecting change of government because opposition leaders are so dishonest and lack integrity. I see them as self serving individuals who go into politics to satisfy their interests and egos because if that was not the case we would not be fighting and bickering on social media about who we think can be the best leader for a united opposition between Dumelang Saleshando, Duma Boko or Ndaba Gaolatlhe.”

Meanwhile AP’s Regional Secretary, Kedibonye Kgari, has downplayed the alleged mass exodus of AP membership to BDP. “The truth of thh matter is that our former candidate left with a few of his family members and only a handful of other members who have been inactive since 2019 elections have left. We therefore want to state unequivocally that the utterances attributed to the BDP were nothing but a belated announcement of a departure that long happened,” she said in a press statement.

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Last week BDP announced that they were welcoming masses poached from AP.

The numbers, they said, could reach at least a thousand of new membership including three AP council candidates for the 2019 general elections.

However Kgari maintains that their focus as AP is not on personal affluence and explained that they are expecting the AP central committee to visit the North West region soon.

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