Former top cop joins politics
Lebogang Mosikare | Monday March 13, 2023 06:00
Mmegi has been reliably informed that the former police Station Commander for Tutume, Jerry Halahala is eyeing Ditladi ward in the Tati East constituency in the 2024 general elections. Ditladi was won by the Alliance for Progressives in the 2019 elections with 356 votes. The AP was followed by the UDC, BDP, BMD, BPF and an independent candidate with 287, 279, 181, 113 and 17 votes respectively.
A source said: “It is only a matter of time before Halahala throws his hat in the political ring. Watch this space.”
This is however subject to Halahala, who left Botswana Police Service (BPS) last year, first passing the hurdle of winning Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) primary elections. The former cop is described by his colleagues and journalists as a down to earth and easily approachable person. His love for his former job knew no bounds. Halahala is however denying that he aspires to compete in the BDP primary elections once the party gives prospective candidates the go ahead to express their interest.
“I have just retired from the BPS and I don’t have any interest in joining the political turf. I am not even a member of any political party. I am currently a horticulturist,” Halahala clarified. Should Halahala end up taking the political plunge in due course, he will find out that after hanging his uniform in the quest for wearing suits in council chambers is no easy task.
Halahala will realise that to survive in the “dirty game of politics”, as some refer to it, he will have to thereafter develop a culture of new traits that are considered indispensable for electoral success.
If Halahala ends up in politics, he will draw inspiration from the fact that his former colleagues, Edwin Batshu and Kenny Kapinga amongst others, who were commissioner and deputy commissioner of police some years ago, also tried their luck in politics and ended up winning Parliamentary seats.
Contacted for comment, BDP Francistown Regional Chairperson Baemedi Medupi said that he was not aware that Halahala has been recruited by the party.