13 Oct 2024

Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) members have been urged to shun tribalism and to cooperate if they are to realise all the promises they made in their manifesto.

Vice President Slumber Tsogwane advised them to rally behind the party and to ensure that all BDP candidates contesting in the upcoming general elections billed for October 30 won.

Speaking at the launch of  parliamentary candidates for Maun North, Maun East and Maun West, together with the  council candidates on Saturday, Mr Tsogwane, who is also the party chairman, said tribalism was divisive and could tear the country apart.

The parliamentary candidates are Prophet Elias for Maun North, Mr Oateng Setlhodi for Maun East and Mr Thato Kwerepe for Maun West.

Mr Tsogwane said the country was well known for accommodating all tribes.

“I call upon you to shun tribalism  and ensure all aspiring candidates are given the chance to contest where they feel comfortable,” he said, adding that the BDP led government was committed to ensuring inclusiveness.

The BDP, he said, was the only party with a clear manifesto intended to make Batswana proud. He said the party leadership had made strides to implement the transformation agenda and land reforms to ensure Batswana benefitted from the economy.

He said the BDP would deliver on its promises to Batswana and urged the electorate to give it another chance to continue advancing an inclusive economy. Mr Tsogwane added that government developed the Economic Inclusion Act to promote effective participation of all in the country’s economy.

He urged Ngamiland residents to ‘correct the mistake they made’ in the last election, saying they should entrust BDP candidates with power to lead the region.

He said the economy of the North West region declined because of the wildlife hunting ban that was introduced in 2014 without proper consultation.

He said the move negatively affected rural livelihoods in areas such as employment and income from community based organisations.

He also said the ban resulted in increased wildlife species and that some encroached into human settlements causing havoc.

Furthermore, the BDP chairman said the party’s objective was to give Batswana a sustainable life hence they continued to implement sound policies and programmes.

The Vice President urged Batswana to shy away from opposition parties, saying they had no direction and even opposed good initiatives that could take the country forward.

“Opposition leaders have proven their incapability in the just ended Parliament session, as they were against good policies aimed to improve the livelihoods of Batswana,” he added.

Earlier on, BDP veteran, Mr Daniel Kwelagobe said the BDP was the only party Batswana could trust because it believed in good governance.

He said the party had since 1962 upheld good governance and delivered its promises to Batswana without fail.

The party, he said, prioritised development projects. He noted that some projects were undertaken through self-reliance, citing the construction of some schools and health facilities.

He also said the party understood the aspirations and needs of Batswana and strived towards their realisation. He highlighted that in Ngamiland government fought to address challenges such as livestock disease outbreaks, citing the contagious bovine pleuro-pneumonia (CBPP) or lung disease. Government, he added, also introduced interventions to mitigate against drought.

In their acceptance speeches, all the parliamentary candidates appealed to voters to support them promising to fulfil their desires. Ends