Mpho Balopi

"Maybe you as journalists are at liberty to speak or write about elders as you wish but some of us do not get to enjoy that privilege."

"I want to warn every member of the party who violates these provisions. No one is above the law."

"As long as we have been given the responsibility to be leading this party we are going to confine ourselves to executing our duties as members of the BDP."

"We have BDP as an institution; and our constitution stipulates that when in power the president of the party becomes that of the country. Masisi is therefore currently in charge of everything. I do not believe that there is an institution smaller than an individual. BDP is not smaller than an individual. It is bigger."

"I represent matters of interest to the party or those that can benefit the party and not any particular individual."

"I strongly believe that as the BDP, we started taking Batswana for granted even in our posture as we were going towards the elections."

"But as a Motswana, even if you are winning, you have to be humble. Maybe we took a long time or never responded to some of the issues that people were pointing at, saying ‘Here, you are not doing right."

"There was a lot of bickering, self-hate and isolating other people."

"In a democratic setting, understand and appreciate that there has to be succession. You can never grow younger. We are all going to grow older and ultimately we will be out of those positions."

"No one can push me out of the BDP and anyone who wages a war against me shall lose!"

"The BDP should know that these are not simple times that we live in. We have lost almost 13 seats in the Central District. Since 1965 it was the first time we lost constituencies there. There is absolutely no way we can say it is business as usual going forward. We should look at how we strategically approach the 2024 elections and what we need in terms of leadership and how we win back those constituencies."

"Those are conspiracy theories. I work very well with president Masisi and the VP. I have never been divisive and I will never be. I have always been loyal to all the leaders. I am the longest serving SG after Masire and Kwelagobe and I have served four terms. I have been in the central committee since 2011, Some have come and gone and found me here because mine is to help the party and facilitate for it to be a successful political movement. I have always fought for the truth. They don’t tell you how I was subjected to ridicule in the build up to Kang when it was difficult to speak out."