04 Aug 2019

Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) president, Advocate Duma Boko has launched Mr Simasiku Mapulanga as the coalition’s prospective parliamentary candidate for Chobe in the upcoming general election.

Speaking during the launch of Mr Mapulanga in Kasane on August 3, Advocate Boko urged the Chobe constituents to vote for the UDC prospective candidate in large numbers.

He said by so doing they would be ensuring job creation, increased living wage, increased tertiary students allowance and old age pensions.

Adv Boko explained that the UDC in its manifesto assured Batswana that 100 000 jobs would be created in the first year of its governance, a living wage of P3 000, P1 500 for old age pensioners and a tertiary education allowance of P2 500.

He said unlike under the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) people aged above 60 years would not be expected to supplement their old pension through Ipelegeng.

The UDC leader pointed out that the old age pensioners would not be expected to overcrowd at the post offices to get their allowances but would have debit cards that they would use for transactions in shops.

He condemned the BDP government for always failing Batswana under the pretext that the country was poor yet the vehicles that the ministers use reflected the opposite.

Adv Boko told the rally that he managed to create ten jobs in one day in Gaborone by donating a mobile car wash and barber shop among others to the unemployed youths.

He explained that the gesture was an indication that should the UDC be voted into power it would create the 100 000 jobs within a year.

He lashed at the BDP political representatives for donating blankets instead of availing them to the public health facilities that were in dire need of them.

Earlier, prospective parliamentary candidate for Ngami, Mr Carter Hikuama said the time was right for Batswana to give the UDC the mandate to rule as the BDP government had ran out of ideas. 

Mr Hikuama said the recent events whereby the former president of the party deserted it was a clear indication that the BDP was non-existent.

Another speaker, Ms Resego Kgosidintsi said voters have a social contract with the political representatives to avail quality health services and education and in the event that the representatives failed to deliver, the voters should vote them out.

She said the BDP had proved that its social contract with Batswana was no longer valid, claiming that the current deterioration in the health and education system were clear examples of such.

Ms Nono Kgafela-Mokoke criticised the BDP government for failing to improve the Kasane Primary Hospital which has been in existence since 1975.

For his part, Mr Mapulanga assured the UDC and Chobe constituents that he and the council candidates would ensure the aspirations of the UDC were realised once voted into parliament and council.

He said his team was made up of capable aspirants, conversant with the challenges faced by the people of Chobe and urged electorates to vote for them in the coming general election. ENDS