14 Oct 2025

Kgalagadi South is gearing for a by-election, but voter sentiment across the vast, arid district suggests a deep dissatisfaction with the status quo, demanding concrete, transformative action from whoever wins the parliamentary seat.

The by-election comes after the passing on of the then sitting Member of Parliament and Minister of Lands and Agriculture, Dr Micus Chimbombi, leaving a vacancy that has galvanised  public focus on persistent local challenges.

President, Advocate Duma Boko has issued a Writ for the Kgalagadi South Constituency by-election, directing that nomination of candidates should be received on October 23 and that the poll shall be on November 15.

Mr Tokyo Modise of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), Mr Tshephang Brooks of the Botswana Congress Party (BCP), and Ms Diana Kartze of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) will be vying for the constituency during the bye election.

Tsabong business mogul, Mr Tshipietsile Mothelesi has however expressed worry about the short notice, lamenting that residents were not given adequate time to decide.

 “My biggest expectation is for the candidate to consider building a hospital. Tsabong is a big village that deserves to have a big hospital,” Mothelesi said, noting that most patients were referred to Gaborone, a journey that is both far and expensive for local families.

He said a local hospital would spare residents time and the burden of travelling long distances to seek for medical services elsewhere as well as easing congestions in cities and town hospitals. Furthermore, travelling long distances may lead to complications for an issue that could have been otherwise easily resolved at an early stage.

In addition, he said there was an urgent need to open the long-awaited small stock abattoir and focus on developing the local stadium, airstrip, and roads infrastructure.

As for the farming community, demands were existential. Chairman of the Molopo Small Stock Marketing Cooperative Mr Leo Tumaeletse emphasised that water shortage was the most pressing issue affecting the region’s dominant small stock industry.

He also pointed that poor communal grazing management and the increasing problem of bush encroachment, which reduces grazing pastures and directly contributes to rural poverty. Additionally, he said the incoming MP should focus on tourism, leveraging the region’s natural resources to attract investors.

Traditional leadership is equally vocal about accountability; Kgosi Piet Mangoro of Khawa village said his primary expectation was that the incoming MP should visit villages more often and hold regular kgotla meetings.

“People need to know their representative for them to express their views and opinions,” the chief remarked, stressing the need for better communication and visibility.

The critical state of education also looms large in the electoral debate, Ms Lesedi Motlatsi, a Khuis resident, decried the persistently poor academic results in the region, demanding a candidate who could enforce real change.

Her specific proposal addresses structural issues at the largest local educational institution. She argued that managing a unified school spanning both levels was excessively difficult, which she said contributed to the poor outcomes. ENDS