09 Sep 2018

Ms Nnaniki Makwinja has been declared the winner in the disputed Lentsweletau/Mmopane constituency re-run BDP primary elections, beating the incumbent Mr Vincent Seretse.

Ms Makwinja emerged victorious with 2 665 votes against  Seretse’s 1 735, creating a winning margin of 930.

Mr Mogatusi Sebego and Patrick Manthe increased their votes to 400 and 269 while Messrs Bernedict Molefhe and Col Diswaswa Mokopaina had their results reduced to 145 and 52. Mr  Chomie Letlole had stepped down from the race.

Ms Makwinja lost to Mr Seretse in the party’s primaries dubbed Bulela Ditswe held on August 25, with a margin of 45 and the latter’s  victory was short-lived following the decision ordering for a re-run by the Party’s Electoral Board Chairperson Mr Peter Siele, citing some irregularities during the recent meeting organised for Lentsweletau/Mmopane on August 31.

The incumbent Mr Seretse initially received the highest votes of 1 514 against Makwinja’s 1 469. Two of the candidates, Messers Mogatusi Sebego and Patrick Manthe who were present during announcement of the results accepted them and expressed happiness at the manner in which the re-run was conducted, saying they were conducted in a fair manner.

Ms Makwinja, together with  other candidates Patrick Manthe, and Mogatusi Sebego had complained to the party’s electoral board that the results in the first primary elections for their constituency did not tally with total results from the nine wards, hence a re-run was called.

Mr Sebego called for candidates who lost in the race and their supporters to understand that the campaign was over and that they should rally behind the BDP candidate with the understanding that Ms Makwinja was not the winner, but a BDP representative.

The returning officer Mr Douglas Letsholathebe, regional secretary from Francistown was grateful of the support and cooperation accorded to him by the constituents, something he said made the assignment much easier.