01 Jul 2019

The leader of Alliance for Progressives (AP), Mr Ndaba Gaolathe has implored residents of Selebi Phikwe to vote for the AP’s prospective parliamentary candidate for Selebi Phikwe East, Mr Rassie Tshenyego.

Launching Mr Tshenyego and seven council candidates at Botshabelo in Selebi Phikwe on Saturday, Mr Ndaba said their candidate was a learned man who has the interests of Selebi Phikwe residents at heart.

He said the closure of the BCL Mine did not only affect the economy of the town, but also led to several cases of suicide which were a result of failure to cope with unemployment.

He said Mr Tshenyego and his councillors could turn things around and bring Selebi Phikwe back to its glory days, adding that the copper mining town used to be the pride of the country.

Mr Ndaba, who is also MP for Gaborone Bonnington South, said the AP had answers to many problems besieging the country, citing ignorance and despair as the contributing factors to problems facing the country.

“We cannot blame the leadership of the country, BDP or government for the problems of this country,” he said.

He said the country was facing challenges because of ignorance, adding that residents of Selebi Phikwe should vote for the AP as the party had members with innovative ideas that could help resuscitate the economy of Selebi Phikwe.

Mr Ndaba said it was upon voters to change the status quo by electing a leadership that had the interests of Batswana at heart. He said Batswana lived in despair yet they had everything to change the situation.

He said Botswana has an educated and knowledgeable human resource, mineral resources such as diamonds, talented youth, abundant water and electricity supply and yet some countries had little or none of these but were successfull in developing their countries.

“This country has everything yet its people are impoverished,” he said. He urged AP prospective parliamentary and council candidates to work together and support one another.

He urged them to sell the AP manifesto to the people of Selebi Phikwe during their house to house campaigns.

For his part, Mr Tshenyego urged Selebi Phikwe residents to vote for him, saying he grew up in the mining town and was abreast with issues affecting the town.

He said the AP was the only party that could change the lives of Selebi Phikwe residents for the better, adding that the town used to have dairy and textile industries that sustained residents.

Mr Tshenyego noted that Selebi-Phikwe used to provide employment opportunities for both residents and people from outside. He said the BCL mine, which w

as the economic mainstay of Selebi Phikwe, should have not been closed, adding that the mine only lacked prudent financial management.

He said if voted as the town’s MP, he would focus on improving the economy of Selebi Phikwe, the health sector as well as people living with disability.

He said that many people were losing their lives because of inadequate medical resources, adding that the government should reduce the doctor/patient ratio. 

He promised to work harmoniously with his council candidates to better the lives of Selebi Phikwe residents.

The party's regional chairperson, Mr Joseph Dintwa said that even though AP was a newly formed party but it was the only hope for Batswana. He said the idea of an umbrella party emanated from AP, whilst other opposition parties believed in a pact.

He said AP had no problem with joining the umbrella party provided the Umbrella for Democratic Change resolved its issues.

 

“UDC should resolve its issues first before we could join them,” he said. ENDS