Masisi's absence in Serowe West 'by design'

Innocent Selatlhwa | Tuesday July 11, 2023 06:00

The Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) after losing one out of 17 by-elections would not have President Mokgweetsi Masisi lead the battle for the revival of the party.

According to the party spokesperson, Kagelelo Kentse, the party president is hardly involved in by-elections. Ever since Serowe West fell vacant early this year after Tshekedi Khama’s disqualification for missing two consecutive parliamentary sessions, President Masisi never stepped in Serowe West to canvass for votes.

This is even though the President has in the past visited wards where there were by-elections and even conducted house-to-house campaigns. Information reaching The Monitor is that Masisi was aware that he would be met with resentment and he saved himself the embarrassment by sending Vice President Slumber Tsogwane instead.

During the campaign, the BPF enjoyed support from its president, Biggie Butale and his NEC most of which he wants to see behind bars. That included former president Ian Khama who at every opportunity attacked Masisi and his administration. As if that were not enough, Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) president, Duma Boko and the Alliance for Progressives (AP) president, Ndaba Gaolathe traversed the constituency to the last day, canvassing for votes for the BPF.

For the BDP, the campaign did not come out as thoroughly thought-out as the party made the chairman and presidential vice its star man. Tsogwane launched BDP candidate, Moemedi Dijeng and later attended his final star rally. This is despite the fact that the globe-trotting Masisi was in Botswana, holding Kgotla meetings around the country.

“We put up a good fight in the by-election like we always do. We lost with our heads up. We will retreat and re-evaluate with 2024 in mind. As you may recall, the President is hardly ever involved in by-elections. It is by design in the party that the party chairman leads. So nothing alarming about that," Kentse said. With Serowe West constituency polls possibly the last by-election before 2024, it was the final opportunity for the BDP to try to turn its fortunes around after losing 14 of 17 by-elections which were mostly held before. Onalepelo Kedikilwe of the BPF won the constituency with 2,933 votes. BDP’s Dijeng was voted by 1,267 voters, BCP’s Sebusiso Ngwenya got a paltry 103 votes, and Kefilwe Koboto, who stood independently, amassed just 82 votes.