22 Aug 2024

The three prospective candidates for Selebi Phikwe West, Ms Beauty Manake of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), Mr Reuben Kaizer of Botswana Congress Party (BCP) and the incumbent MP, Mr Dithapelo Keorapetse of Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) locked horns during the Radio Botswana debate for Selebi Phikwe West yesterday on Tuesday.

The main issues the three raised was the transformation of the local economy after the closure of the BCL mine which, they said  was the backbone of the town’s economy.

Ms Manake emphasised on mindset change, calling on the community and all stakeholders to look beyond the closure of the BCL mine and come up with other sustainable income generating projects that would help transform the economy of the town.

She informed Selebi Phikwe community that the government had various programmes in place to improve the livelihoods of Batswana, urging them to make use of them and create employment.

Ms Manake who is also the Assistant Minister of Trade and Industry said that she was the best candidate for Selebi Phikwe because she was born and bred in Selebi-Phikwe and understood its challenges much better.

On BCL houses, she said, she stood her ground to stop the liquidator from selling BCL houses to save families that still occupied the houses.
She said majority of those who occupied the houses faced possible eviction because they had no income to buy the houses they occupied.

Ms Manake also vowed to help resuscitate various sporting activities in town just like she did with Nico United football club.

To counter that the BCP hopeful Mr Reuben Kaizer said BDP had been in power for over 50 years but had failed to transform the economy of the town.

He said 12 per cent of Selebi Phikwe population lost their jobs eight years ago as a result of the closure of the BCL mine and almost 20 000 people were affected.

Mr Kaizer also said that unemployment was very high since the closure of the BCL mine.

While UDC’s prospective candidate Mr Keorapetse also shared the same sentiments about the high unemployment rate in Selebi Phikwe.

“Since October 2019 has your life changed for the better? Are your children working, Can you pay the water and electricity bills, are you able to pay rent?” he asked rhetorically urging those who have no better answers to these questions to vote for the opposition UDC to change their lives.  He said he was in a better position to bring positive changes to the community of Selebi Phikwe West, adding that Selebi Phikwe was faced with high unemployment resulting in extreme poverty.

Citing the multi-household survey of 2024, he said statistics from the survey showed that only 6 060 Batswana were working in Selebi Phikwe compared to 9 218 Batswana in 2023.

Adding to Selebi Phikwe woes, Mr Keorapetse said was low wages paid to Batswana making it impossible for them to sustain their families thus dragging them into poverty and debts.

Moreover he said 467 people were sentenced to civil imprisonment every year due to debts, adding that of that number 300 were from Selebi Phikwe.

Mr Keorapetse said UDC was against this and would continue advocating for better ways to deal with civil cases. ENDS