Manyapetsa offended by the 'purchased' tag

Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) activist Lotty Manyepetsa has taken a swipe at his former colleague, Tumiso Rakgare, who is the president of the Botswana Congress Party Youth League (BCPYL) for picking him out as a purchased activist.

Manyapetsa was responding to a statement by BCPYL leader Tumiso Rakgare in which his league called for the sacking of the then BCP member and Member of Parliament for Okavango Constituency, Bagalatia Arone who has since officially made his way to the BDP.

Rakgare said the BDP is using state resources to appease opposition members to join the ruling party. He called on the youth to avoid falling on the same trap as Arone, Manyapetsa, who is also a defected activist and others. Manyapetsa, prior to resigning from the party was also serving suspension on accusation of recruiting party members to leave with him.

“The BDP is in a panic mode, they are worried about the envisaged cooperation between the BCP and UDC. Buying opportunists will not stop the opposition from attaining state power in the 2019 general election.”

Manyapetsa last week hit back at his long time comrade and colleague. He wondered why Rakagre used him as an example while “the BCP leadership failed to prove that indeed I was bought when I joined the BDP. He is trying to divert attention that remarkable people are dumping his party, which has lost the sense of democracy. He has joined the BDP before.Is he telling us that he was bought to join the ruling party?”.

He says Rakgare has moved across three political parties but no one said anything especially at the time when he left Botswana National Front following allegations that he embezzled University of Botswana Student Representative Council funds. Manyapetsa said the BCPYL leader is the best person placed to publicly testify if he financially benefited when he joined the BDP.

“If he benefited financially when he joined the party, then we would somehow believe what he and other opposition members tell people about BDP buying people. I do not know why I am being mentioned in a BCP press statement when I have long left the sinking ship of the BCP,” fumed Manyapetsa who at once was the BCPYL President.