Tight race anticipated in Lepokole-Borotsi by-election
Lebogang Mosikare | Monday December 18, 2023 09:59
The by-election was occasioned by the resignation of a former Botswana Congress Party (BCP) councilor, Motseothata Mafoko, from active politics for a Civic Society Organisation (CSO) job.
In the 2019 General Election, Mafoko who was deployed by the BCP to stand for the polls under the banner of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), won the ward with 1,701 votes.
Mafoko was followed by Lemphositse Sepelong of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) who garnered 652 votes. The BCP has now severed ties with the UDC due to differences over governance issues and it has since stated that it will contest the upcoming 2024 elections under its logo and name.
The BCP has since recruited the Botswana Labour Party (BLP), an offspring of the Botswana National Front (BNF), under its wings following its internal feud with its ex-parent body, UDC. The BCP and BLP share a similar trait-they are both offsprings of the BNF.
A tight race is now expected between the BCP and BDP in Lepokole-Borotsi. While that may be the case as some people feel, the UDC has now entered the fray following its acrimonious disagreement with the BCP. In the aftermath of the 2019 General Election, the UDC has won a majority of the by-elections hence there is a theory being bandied about that the BCP and BDP should ignore it at their own peril.
Until the Lepokole-Borotsi by-election that is pencilled for December 9, parties under the UDC (BNF, BPP, AP and BPF) had negligible or no presence in the Bobonong constituency. The Bobonong constituency under which Lepokole-Borotsi falls was won by Taolo Lucas of the BCP in the 2019 polls.
By then Lucas was deployed by the BCP to represent the UDC before their relationship came to a bitter end. Analysts also opine that the Lepokole-Borotsi by-election will be a litmus test for Lucas. Lucas is one of the remaining BCP legislators who stuck with the party after it parted ways with the UDC. In the 2019 general elections, Lucas, then a representative of the UDC, won the Bobonong constituency with 8956 votes. Lucas was followed by Francisco Kgoboko of the BDP with 8103 votes.
The BCP, UDC and BDP will be represented by Moalosi Afa, Boitumelo Nyambe and Letso Leshiba respectively in Lepokole-Borotsi. Afa was beaming with confidence when Mmegi contacted him to ask him what he intends to do if the people of Lepokole-Borotsi elect him as their next councillor.
Afa said that he will do all in his power to fight the scourge of cattle rustling in the ward. “Livestock theft in Lepokole-Borotsi is a serious cause of concern. Some locals connive with Zimbabweans to smuggle livestock across the border to Zimbabwe.
The current regiment that fights livestock theft in the ward is currently not working optimally. I will fight for this regiment to be adequately resourced so that it performs its duties effectively. I will also partner with the police and other critical stakeholders to arrest this troubling problem,” said Afa.
The aspiring councillor is also concerned about the poor results of learners from Borotsi and Lepokole primary schools. “I have discovered that learners from this ward perform very well in their Standard 7 national examinations when they attend schools outside the ward.
This therefore, means that there is a problem that needs to be fixed to arrest this problem. I will work with the Parents Teachers Associations (PTAs) of Lepokole and Borotsi settlements, teachers of Lepokole and Borotsi primary schools, communities of Lepokole and Borotsi and other stakeholders to try to find a lasting solution to this poor pass rates,” an optimistic Afa vowed. Afa also stated that he will endeavour to decrease the high rate of crime in Lepokole and Borotsi settlements.
He attributes the problem to lack of economic opportunities in the two settlements. “There are no streetlights in Lepokole and Borotsi which is also fuelling the high crime rates in the settlements. This will also be one of my major priorities if the people of Lepokole and Borotsi entrust me to be their servant on December 9,” he said. On health issues, Afa said: “The Borotsi public clinic is very small but it offers service to people from many areas. I will advocate for its expansion if the people of Lepokole and Borotsi vote for me.
Similarly, the Lepokole clinic opens from Monday to Friday but is closed on Saturdays and Sundays. It is high time that a maternity wing operating for 24 hours is also constructed in Lepokole to prevent people from taking unnecessary long distances to seek medical help in Bobonong.” Within the short period left to the 2024 General Election, Afa also vowed to address the problem of water shortage that has rocked Lepokole and Borotsi villages although they are not far from Dikgathong, Thune and Letsibogo dams.
“Villages that are within the vicinity of dams in the Bobonong constituency also deserve to have a constant supply of water from these dams. Lepokole and Borotsi villages currently get their water supply from bowsers while the water from dams within our vicinity is supplying water to villages in the southern part of Botswana.
This should not be construed to say that I am against water from these dams being taken to the southern parts of the country to alleviate water shortage there, but I am simply saying that nearby villages should have been the ones to be supplied with water following the construction of these dams because of their proximity,” said Afa, who holds a Certificate in Forestry and Range Management from the then Botswana College of Agriculture (BCA) now Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN) amongst other qualifications.
For his part, Nyambe said although less than a year is left before the next general election, he is confident of victory in the looming by-election. He said if given the opportunity to be the next councillor, he will mostly concentrate on socio-economic issues that are hampering the people of Lepokole and Borotsi from reaching their full potential. Nyambe stated amongst some of his priority challenges that he will address when voted by the people of Lepokole and Borotsi is to address the issue of the road that connects Bobonong and Lepokole.
“This road is currently in a state of disrepair and needs to be serviced as a matter of urgency. The main economic activity that the people of Lepokole and Borotsi are currently engaged in is working under the Ipelegeng programme. Most people of Lepokole and Borotsi grow up without having any hope of working meaningfully for themselves outside Ipelegeng. There is a correlation between the poor results of learners from Lepokole and Borotsi primary schools and working under Ipelegeng.
The status quo should change. We have the Mapanda Trust in Lepokole which was envisaged to be a vehicle for economic opportunities but it has not reached its full potential since its formation,” said Nyambe. Just like Afa, Nyambe is also concerned about the issue of waywardness of the people of Lepokole and Borotsi, especially the youth. He attributes this to lack of economic opportunities. “Some learners from Lepokole and Borotsi primary schools drop out from school at Standard 5 which is a serious cause of concern that should be solved urgently by all education stakeholders including civic leaders such as councillors. When children drop out of school at that young age they lose any hope of finding any meaningful job in future which leads them to engage in anti-social activities as a way of earning a living,” said Nyambe. Nyambe added that he will form active crime prevention committees as one the ways to arrest waywardness experienced in Lepokone and Borotsi.
Nyambe, who is also pastor, says that he will fight hard for the construction of a maternity ward in Lepokole clinic. He is convinced that the people of Lepokole and Borotsi, especially the youth who are hit hard by unemployment can use their sports and arts talent to make a living for themselves. “As a former footballer, I know that people can use their God given talents in sports and arts to earn a living... Sports and the arts sector can keep people, especially young people from engaging in unlawful activities hence I will prioritise forming a platform were our people will use their talents to earn a living if I am voted. I am not however saying that there will be no crime if most people are engaged in sports and arts but it will reduce since people will be engaged in something that may positively affect their lives.
I will also engage experts in the agriculture sector to help our people to earn a living for themselves...Israel is a desert country more than Botswana but it is more self-sufficient in food production than Botswana. Various experts in the agriculture sector should be hired so that the people of Lepokole and Borotsi and Botswana at large can optimally benefit from this sector,” said Nyambe, a former secretary of the BCP in the Bobonong constituency. When contacted to state what his roadmap for Lepokole-Borotsi was, Leshiba refused to comment for fear of probably contravening BDP procedures and/or processes governing speaking with the media. Repeated efforts to convince Leshiba that he will not attract any backlash from the BDP for speaking with the media because he was chosen as a consensus candidate also hit a snag.