South East District Council (SEDC) Chairperson, Lobatse Farms, Councilor Anne Joubert, says it is time for her to distance herself from the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) and its policies which she labeled as outdated.
Councilor Joubert stated that the BDP has lost compassion for its people and she said she no longer feels at home with the BDP.
Joubert said she is frustrated by how the government is treating agricultural issues in the country adding that there is a big gap between small and large farmers, with the small farmers being disadvantaged.
She confirmed her new membership in the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD), a party which she says makes her feel free to express herself and to be the voice to the voiceless.
“I have been voted for by farmers and farm workers but of late the farms are not producing and farm workers are losing their jobs,” said Joubert.
Councilor Joubert cited an example of the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) which has to be bailed out every year with tax payer’s money after closing for six months and costing taxpayers P300 million.
She stated that the past few years P105 million was paid every year to bail out BMC, adding that the majority of farmers who are benefiting from government policies are the major chain stores and certain farmers with prominent brands.
According to Joubert, 80 percent of feedlots and dairy farms are in Lobatse farms, while 70 percent of chicken farms are also in Lobatse. She said dairy farmers produce milk and are forced to sell it at lower prices to dairy companies such as Parmalat. She stated that the same thing happens to chicken farmers.
Joubert said she will continue as SEDC Chairperson where the opposition coalition has a majority in the council chamber. She stated that she may not have communicated with each and every one in her area of Lobatse Farms due to commitments, but said she will do that as soon as possible. She said she has had very positive responses from both farmers and farm workers when she announced her resignation from BDP.  
BMD Coordinator-National Mobilization, Kabo Morwaeng, confirmed Joubert’s membership in the BMD and thanked her for having confidence in the opposition coalition. He stated that opposition coalition will continue to dominate in other District Councils across the country.
“She is a very influential political veteran who has changed many Batswana’s lives,” said Morwaeng.
Currently, SEDC has 13 opposition councilors and 12 BDP councilors.
