'I am grateful for the opportunity'

Larona Makhaiza | Friday September 27, 2024 16:22

Edwin Dikoloti has said being dropped from cabinet does not concern him and he will not lose sleep over it as he prepares to contest next month's General Elect

Dikoloti announced earlier that he will be contesting as an independent candidate for the Goodhope-Mmathethe constituency. President Mokgweetsi Masisi fired Dikoloti as Minister of Health this morning, following Dikoloti's decision to take his party, the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) to court to contest the party's decision to exclude him as a parliamentary candidate for the Goodhope-Mmathethe constituency.

His case was due to be heard at the High Court in Gaborone, but Dikoloti’s attorney, Kgosietsile Ngakaagae when addressing journalists, indicated that they received a letter this morning stating that Dikoloti was no longer part of the cabinet. The case was therefore withdrawn following the developments. Breaking his silence on his removal from cabinet, Dikoloti said it is a development he would not lose sleep over. “At the moment it is what it is and all I can say is that I am really grateful for the chance he (Masisi) gave me,” Dikoloti said.

He said he could not complain about the decisions taken against him as the powers lie with with Masisi as per the constitution of the country. “Being selected into the cabinet lies with the President. What I can only say from these developments is that I am grateful for the opportunities I had,” he said. Hours after Dikoloti was dropped from cabinet, Masisi, who returned from the United Nations General Assembly last night, swore in Sethomo Lelatisitswe as the new Minister of Health. Lelatisitswe was Dikoloti's deputy and takes over with less than a month to the General Election scheduled for October 30. Dikoloti said he and the BDP had reached a point of no return after the party's leadership preferred Minister of Finance, Peggy Serame to contest in Goodhope-Mmathethe over him. “We came here to defend our voters, but I want to state that I am resigning from the BDP. This is the party that I grew up in and I didn’t ever think that this would happen to me any day. What hurts me the most is how everything was done to oust me ,” Dikoloti said. Dikoloti will now run as an independent candidate in a bid to retain his seat in parliament.