07 Dec 2023

Friday is the penultimate stage. Saturday is the judgement day. The jostle for the vacant councillor post for Lepokole/Borotsi Ward has hit fever pitch. The dust will settle Saturday night when an eventual winner is announced.

The ward is colourful and alive with expectations yet suitors are still lurking. Suitors are presenting their cases to the eventual arbiters- voters. It is a daily occurrence.

Under the scorching sun, foot soldiers are pumped up. Every morning loudspeakers awaken the constituents with one reminder: vote for us not them.

The ward is clad in contesting party colours; the lime and black of Botswana Congress Party, the red, black and white of Botswana Democratic Party and the royal blue and white of the Umbrella for Democratic Change.

Electric poles have doubled as advertising boards, hoisting pictures of contesting candidates.

Foot-soldiers carry buckets and paint brushes. 

They paint ineffable pictures of their parties. Almost infallible. In the process they discolour competition.

But suitors are extremely careful to evade misinterpretation, misunderstanding and harmful perception.

Nothing hyperbolic, not even verbose, excerpt for the blows thrown at opponents.

Voters revel in constant checkups by suitors who inundate them with pleas and appeals. Suitors plead to sway voters to their sides, pointing accusing fingers at opponents for this or that.

But the ultimate judgement lies with the voter- the final arbiter. All that parties are doing now is refining approaches and messages. Party leaders and members have spoken in the past weeks. They have pleaded and canvassed for votes.

Campaign managers are upbeat, highly expectant, hoping their candidate will be the new Lepokole/Borotsi ward councillor.

“I can’t even think of vote splitting because even under UDC, voters in this ward have always been BCP. There has never been Botswana National Front or any of those under the UDC,” said BCP campaign manager, Mr Letsogile Koketso.

Mr Koketso who is also a councillor for Dandane/Mabeleng Ward in Bobonong is hopeful for a win saying his team was raring to trounce the opponents tomorrow.

“Everything is ready. We have managed data very well,” he said reluctant to detail data management he was referring to, saying it was a precautionary measure lest he armed his opponents.

Although he calls for voters across political divide to cast their votes in favour of Mr Moalosi Afa of the BCP, Mr Koketso presages an easy battle where his party will vanquish with relative ease.

If successful, Mr Afa will be the only councillor countrywide voted under the BCP,  which went into the 2019 election under the UDC.

The BDP also bears huge expectations going into the by-election. They are buoyed by claims that some opposition supporters have given up on the UDC project, labeling it failed, according to their campaign manager, Mr Moreri Joseph.

“Even the opposition members have pledged to vote for the BDP after realising the UDC took them for granted,” said Mr Joseph who is also a nominated councilor.

He said that some voters were reluctant to come and cast their votes since they deem the by-election an unnecessary cost that comes with inconvenience to their lives.

Mr Joseph says they are positive to win the ward based on the response from the ground where electorate felt left in the lurch by UDC and their elected councillor. He says voters were ready to send Mr Letso Leshiba to council.

“We’re on a smooth ride and have thoroughly prepared to win this ward…the electorate is with us on this one and the duo of BCP and BDP are almost non-existent in this ward,” UDC campaign manager, Mr Motswana Tlhako said.

Mr Tlhako, who says he is not afraid of the vote splitting, adds that the electorate voted for the UDC in 2019 and are still going to vote for the same.

“Babirwa and Batswana in general understand the challenges that people face in life. Mr Mafoko resigned because of his reasons, chiefly because he had found greener pastures,” he says while responding to claims by some opponents that a representative of his party caused a by-election.

The UDC campaign manager describes candidate, Mr Boitumelo Nyambe as a very strong man compared to his opponents. He says that armed with Diploma in Law and being a pastor puts Mr Nyambe miles ahead of competition.

Calling for all to vote for the UDC, Mr Tlhako says his party is ready to oust the ruling BDP in 2024 general elections in order to improve the livelihoods of Batswana.

Lepokole/Borotsi council seat fell vacant after former councillor, Mr Motseothata Mafoko of UDC resigned September 14. Consequently, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Kgotla Autlwetse issued a writ of election for the Lepokole/Borotsi by-election for December 9. Ends