ON HIS OWN Balopi’s anti‑corruption vows circle back as BDP distances itself
When Mpho Balopi once stood before cheering Domkrag crowds and thundered that the Botswana Democratic Party would never shield magodu, his words carried the weight of a man certain of his own innocence. “Domkrag was never established gore e tle go godisa, le go otla magodu,” he declared in Palapye, insisting that any member caught in corruption would be shown the door. He even promised: “You won’t find me there.”
Today, those very words have returned to haunt him.
The Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) has charged Balopi alongside Thomas Sidney Sharpe, Tshepiso Innocent Makgoeng, Duncan Mothusi Gaolebogwe, and companies Native Outdoor, Native Impressions, Stess Engineering, and Keysource. The allegations involve over P5 million in fraud and money laundering linked to Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA) loans and falsified documents.
Party Draws the Line
This Tuesday, BDP Secretary General Kentse Rammidi made it plain: the party will not entangle itself in Balopi’s legal storm. Supporters may attend court “in their personal capacities,” but not in party regalia, and not as representatives of Domkrag.
“The party is not supporting the President in the case,” Rammidi told the media, stressing that Balopi faces charges as an individual, not as BDP president.
It is a cold distancing that leaves Balopi in limbo — still president, but politically isolated. The BDP Constitution offers little room for the Central Committee to remove him outside an elective congress. That means, unless Balopi resigns voluntarily, only next year’s ballot can decide his fate.
The Irony of Integrity
Balopi’s predicament is layered with irony. He once told members that forensic audits should be made public, that corrupt comrades would be sidelined, and that Domkrag would never tolerate tshenyetso sechaba. He even mocked whispers about his own name, insisting “the chickens have come home to roost” for others, not him.
Now, the chickens circle back. His credibility as a leader who preached integrity is on trial as much as the charges themselves.
Fallout and Isolation
Insiders whisper that Balopi’s fallout with former president Mokgweetsi Masisi was less about ideology and more about quiet DCEC investigations. Masisi, they say, urged him to resign from Cabinet to protect the party before allegations surfaced. That episode was dressed up as “political differences,” but the corruption talk never truly died.
With charges now public, Balopi’s refusal to step aside risks turning his own anti‑corruption sermons into political theatre. The BDP, meanwhile, is stuck with a president it cannot easily remove, watching as the party’s moral standing is tested in full view of the nation.
Constitutional Crossroads
The saga has reignited calls to review the BDP Constitution, long criticised for giving the president sweeping powers with little accountability. As the party heads into its National Council and an Extraordinary Congress, members are already submitting proposals for reform.
For now, Balopi remains in office, but without the backing of his party. His earlier vow that Domkrag would never protect magodu has become the very standard against which he is judged
