19 Mar 2023

 Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) chairperson, Mr Slumber Tsogwane has urged Grootlaagte community to come in numbers for the March 25 council ward by-election, to entrust BDP with the responsibility to represent Grootlaagte again

Launching BDP candidate, Mr Petro Moretlwa on Saturday, Mr Tsogwane said voting a BDP candidate would be the right and thoughtful decision.

The Vice President said Mr Moretlwa was the right man for the job because he had been entrusted with caring for the community trust farm diligently.

He said Moretlwa was a credible and capable man who could lead the community to success and was better placed to drive government programmes geared towards uplifting the livelihoods of Batswana.

Mr Tsogwane said Mr Moretlwa mirrored the virtues of the BDP and with his moral integrity, he would unite the community.

The acting president said BDP’s resilient inner democracy and long-standing leadership record was beyond reproach and therefore voting for the BDP would be voting for a brighter future.

Mr Tsogwane also said the electorate should consider the track record of the BDP, which he said had fared well amid economic woes, diseases and famine over the years and never neglected the lives of RADP communities, which government had catered for through rural development grogrammes and affirmative action.

“We have been pressure tested politically,” stated Mr Tsogwane, adding that all had been possible through prudent spending and prioritisation of needs as well as good governance.

He said the BDP-led government was making strides in fighting crime and was committed to ending Gender Based violence.

Mr Tsogwane said government, through President, Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi, was in talks with one international investor who was supposed to invest in COVID-19 vaccine production in Botswana, to shift focus to cancer vaccine production since COVID-19 vaccines were no longer in high demand.

He said the President was determined to seek opportunities for Batswana in international organisations.

Ghanzi District Council chairperson, Mr Jeremiah Tibi told attendants that the future of Grootlaagte would be guaranteed by voting a BDP candidate while BDP secretary general, Mr Kavis Kario described BDP as a tolerant and trustworthy party committed to safe guarding national peace.

Different speakers appealed to electorate to vote Mr Moretlwa in honour of the late councillor for Grootlaagte, Mr Ezekiel Kajuu, to continue his legacy. During the 2019 general elections, BDP emerged victorious in Grootlaagte with 291 votes, followed by BMD with 232 while UDC had 110 votes.

Mr Moretlwa is contesting against Mr Kopanelo Theko of Botswana Movement for Democracy, an independent candidate, Mr Jacob Malesele and Mr Sehakgamaleng Tjitemisa of Umbrella for Democratic Change. END