All hands on deck at Moselewapula by-election – BCP
Lebogang Mosikare | Sunday May 15, 2022 19:43
The Moselewapula by-election in Francistown West was occasioned by the recent passing on of area councillor, Reuben Ketlhoilwe after a long illness.
In the 2019 general elections, Kethoilwe won the ward with 579 under the UDC ticket. He was followed by Gilbert Boikhutso of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), Bushy Ditshotlo of the Alliance for Progressives (AP) and Gilbert Makombo of the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) with 550, 196 and 49 votes respectively.
The UDC has entered into an agreement with the BPF and AP to contest all by-elections either council or parliamentary as one bloc before the 2024 general elections.
According to the Local Government Act, which provides for qualifications for Local Government Elections candidature and the time frame within which a Local Government vacancy can be filled, by-elections should be held within three months following the death, incapacitation or resignation of a councillor.
Recently, the UDC has been rocked by incessant fighting over council wards that became vacant following the passing away of incumbent councillors mostly from the ruling BDP.
The most famous ward that was characterised by infighting is the Bophirima ward in the Gaborone Bonnington South constituency.
In the by-election, the BCP ended up fielding its candidate using its symbol while the UDC also fielded its candidate who ended up wresting the ward from the BDP.
Accusations and counter-accusations flew between the BCP and its parent party, the UDC, following the former’s decision to compete against the latter. The BCP felt it was elbowed from fielding its candidate in the by-election, a contention that the UDC has strenuously denied.
The secretary-general of the BCP Goretetse Kekgonegile, who is also the Member of Parliament for Maun East, confirmed to Mmegi that indeed this time the party will contest the Moselewapula ward under the UDC just like in 2019.
“According to the MoU that the UDC has entered into with the BPF and AP, if a ward or constituency was under one of the parties under the UDC, then that party will field its candidate. In the Moselewapula case, the late councillor Ketlhoilwe was a BCP member. This then means that the candidate who will contest in the upcoming by-election shall come from the BCP and will represent the UDC,” said Kekgonegile.
The political dynamics have changed dramatically in Francistown West in the aftermath of the defection of area MP Ignatius Moswaane from the BDP to the UDC. Moswaane had in the past confirmed that he will even contest for the position of the president of the Botswana People’s Party (BPP), which is a member of the UDC together with the Botswana National Front (BNF) and the BCP.
Additionally, Boikhutso is now a nominated councillor in the City of Francistown Council.
This factor will make it hard for Boikhutso to resign his council seat and challenge whoever will represent the UDC in the by-election because he does not know what will happen to him should he contemplate taking that decision.