Govt. has neglected political veterans - Kwerepe

A  pioneering politician in Ngamiland, Gaerolwe Kwerepe has accused the government and Batswana of conveniently forgetting political veterans.

Kwerepe was among the leaders that made it into Botswana’s first national assembly after elections in 1965. The first Member of Parliament for Ngami, joined politics in 1964 under the Botswana Democratic Party banner and was among the 31 elected and four specially elected (total 35) MPs of the first parliament.

Only four of those founding fathers are still alive being the country’s second president Sir Ketumile Masire, Kenneth Nkhwa of North East, Obert Chilume of Nkange and Kwerepe himself. When speaking in an interview with this publication, Kwerepe said when moving around in Ngamiland constituency where his footprints are found, he cannot find anything to reflect his legacy.

There is no school or clinic not even a road named after him, something he finds very strange. Kwerepe lost sight some years back but is able to hear clearly. The multilingual veteran is fluent in Setswana, Herero and English among others. He was able to explain to this publication that he is a faithful member of BDP in Herero saying, Mbe koka a mbiri mo Domkrag.

He cried that although they built this country from scratch using their own resources - riding on donkey-backs to move from one place to the other because there were no vehicle roads by then - the government is not giving them the respect they deserve.
Kwerepe said he was supposed to be a farmer, but is unable to do anything for himself now because age has caught up with him.

He has lost sight and is unable to walk-a condition that frustrates him and makes life pretty difficult for him. “In neighboring countries like Namibia and South Africa all veterans are given that respect by having statues (busts) erected to honour them or naming schools and hospitals after them to show that they recognise what they have done for their respective countries,” he said.

Kwerepe said that all the millionaires and educated people in Botswana should give veterans the respect they deserve because they have paved the way for them to be where they are. According to him while a Member of Parliament he once got retired teachers to go back to schools where there was shortage of teachers and paid them from his own salary, as a way of showing patriotism.

He said he hired former teacher Nicholas Joseph to teach in Kareng and Kubuetsile to teach in Semboyo and they were given P300 monthly and a sack of maize. “Our president recognises former soldiers because he used to be a soldier while he has forgotten about us. They are given money although it’s not enough they are not like us,” said Kwerepe.

The former MP appealed to government to recognise their efforts of building this united and peaceful nation by giving political veterans tokens like food hampers so they too can survive. Kwerepe condemned politicians who fight and insult others during campaigns saying during their time there were no such things. They belonged to different parties but they knew that their goal was to build Botswana.

He said that although they were not united and belonged to different territories at the time, yet they politicians did not use rallies to discuss other people’s lifestyles, which is a common phenomenon these days. Kwerepe however hailed the nation of Botswana saying they are united and enjoy peace. He said Batswana tribes receive the roving torch in all places without any hint of tribalism. He also hailed government for treating all Batswana equally.