07 Apr 2022

Political parties are hitting a crucial stretch in their pursuit to lure votes in Bophirima ward in the run-up to the bye-election billed for April 9.

The Bophirima ward fell vacant last December following the death of the area councillor Mr Kagiso Mongwaketse of the Botswana Democratic Party.

The bye-election has pitted Ms Onkemetse Mothei of the BDP against Ms Mankie Sekete and Mr Peter Mogapi of Umbrella for Democratic Change and Botswana Congress Party respectively.

It is well-posed to be a  tight three-horse race as neither of the political parties is leaving no stone unturned in soliciting last-minute undecided voters.

The discord in the UDC camp could, however, be getting all the headlines, but the race for the vacant council seat remains too tight to call with all the parties aiming  for victory.

At the centre of the opposition block debacle is the matter of ward allocation, as the BCP has opted to field a candidate to contest the ward, independently and not under the UDC coalition.

The BCP has on several platforms refuted the UDC declaration of Ms Sekete as the preferred candidate for the opposition coalitions in Bophirima ward saying such a move was done in bad faith since the  UDC  has never met to discuss the  Bophirima ward candidacy.

BCP President, Mr Dumelang Saleshando during the recent launch of the BCP candidate contended the legitimacy of the  UDC preferred candidate in the  Bophirima bye-election as the preferred candidate saying it was done in bad faith and in violation of clause  13 of the UDC  constitution.

“Clause 13  of the UDC constitution mandates the party National Executive Committee to meet prior to every election to decide on the ward allocation and the preferred candidate and  I can rest assure you as the  UDC Vice  President that the NEC never met hence the nomination of Ms Sekete as UDC candidate is unlawful and contradicts the  UDC  constitution,”  he said.

Mr Saleshando highlighted that the BCP is the rightful party to represent the opposition block in Bophirima since the ward was assigned to the BCP ahead of the 2019 general elections but only acceded to a request for Ms Sekete to contest in its ward following her defection from the BMD to the BNF as a courtesy as she was a specially elected councillor at the time.

The UDC on the other hand is acknowledging the challenges that besiege opposition unity, with the party chairperson  Mr Motlatsi Molapisi saying the party disunity could dent the chances of obtaining  state party if not well dealt with.

“As opposition parties, we need one another and continue to engage one another in our quest to establish a new government,”  he said.  

Mr Molapisi appealed to Bophirima ward voters to be the drivers of change on vote in Ms Sekete in the upcoming by-election.

The BDP meanwhile is optimistic the current discord in the opposition camp will favour and enable them to retain the ward.

BDP chairperson, Mr Slumber Tsogwane when addressing a political rally recently in Bophirima said “We have always preached a basic message, easily understood by our people to the effect that as a government we stand for development and improvement of the living conditions of Batswana.  Since we assumed stewardship of this nation, the life of the average Motswana has undergone tremendous positive change.”

Mr Tsogwane noted that the BDP victory in Bophirima ward heavily relied on the effectiveness of all party structures in the ward in an effort to clearly disseminate the BDP massage to Batswana.

He said amidst all the COVID 19 uncertainty, Bophirima ward voters should remain resolute on the BDP lead governance by voting for Ms Mothei in the coming by-election, whom he described as a young dedicated young woman who has served in the ward development committee for a long time.

Meanwhile, political commentator Mr Karabo Mosweu is of the view that  Bophirima ward is too close to call and the battle for political supremacy in Bophirima ward could go down to the wire.

“The split votes between the opposition party could hand victory to the  BDP, however, the Alliance for Progressive could be a deciding factor in Bophirima.  It is worth noting that the AP has fully declared its support to the BCP,” he said.

Mr Mosweu thus said opposition parties need to amicably resolve their differences with constituency ward allocation adding that Bophirima might look like just one ward in Gaborone but the outcome of its bye-election had far greater significance in the future of opposition unity. ENDS