Thapelo Olopeng: i'm philanthropist by nature

MONKAGEDI GAOTLHOBOGWE
Staff Writer | Saturday May 25, 2013 00:00

 

Olopeng said it is not true that he gets blankets from Khama to distribute in every village. As soon as Parliament opened recently, Acting Speaker and Olopeng's political rival for Tonota  South constituency, Pono Moatlhodi, had a field day openly criticising Khama for giving his rival blankets to distribute to the poor to help his campaign to unseat him(Moatlhodi).On Friday, Olopeng told The Monitor that it pains him that he has been painted as a friend who cheaply uses his influence on the President.

'The fact is I have never asked for blankets from the President, nor will I ever do that. The President is not so short sighted either. Truth is I am man enough to help the community where they think I could assist,' he said.Olopeng said as a businessman who has business associates and sympathisers, he has always called upon them to assist him in lending a hand. He denied that he used public forums like kgotla meetings for political party campaigns.  'For a start, I was approached by the Department of Social Welfare in my region after identifying 55 needy people in Shashe-Mooke and 195 in Tonota. The assistance was specifically for these registered needy people. The district commissioner then wrote to me, inviting me to be there when they distribute the items,' he said.

Olopeng said he is surprised that it is only now that he is being attacked for helping the needy when he has been involved in charity work since 2009. He related that he has been approached to assist the community in various capacities on more than 10 occasions. Recently, Olopeng donated five wheelchairs to disabled students of Tonota primary schools' disability division.  'It was not a campaign exercise. Once again I was approached to assist. They told me that four of the children who needed wheelchairs had actually absconded from school,' he said.The man said his charity work is not only around Tonota. Recently a Selebi-Phikwe school, Lapologang, requested a photocopier, which he said has since been handed over.Olopeng runs an office supplies company, as well as a Matsiloje cement factory. He also has interests in the construction industry as well as other business interests in South Africa.