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'Bulela Ditswe chaos speak volumes about leadership'

'Bulela Ditswe chaos speak volumes about leadership' 'Bulela Ditswe chaos speak volumes about leadership'
'Bulela Ditswe chaos speak volumes about leadership'

'The chaos today speaks volumes about our leadership.' BDP's Molepolole constituencies, just like others on Saturday, experienced extended delays in various polling stations due to the reported late arrivals of the voters' rolls. The candidate councillor spoke about how he believed there is a lack of readiness even for the upcoming general election. 'We can't deny that what is happening now is a reflection of what may come during the national election. How can there be so much confusion without the leadership even showing interest in assuring party members of rectification? This might go down in history as the most disorganised Bulela Ditswe elections,' he spoke anonymously. Frustrated voters waited the entire day without any action and proper communication, something they said was the most infuriating. At Sebele ward in the Molepolole South constituency voters, especially the elderly, had braced the day in anticipation to cast their votes but they were met with delay with no one paying them mind that they had arrived as early as 6am.

Seitebogo Moisakgosi, an elderly voter said she woke up early looking forward to voting and that she waited as long as she could but in the end, it was difficult for her. 'Ngwanaka re teilwe gotwe re tle go tlhopa mme re itekile go tla jaanong ba tshameka ka rona. Sale re eme, mebele jaanong e ya gana. (We were told to come and cast our votes and we managed but it seems they are playing with us. We have waited for so long and our bodies are giving out),' she said they opened the gate to head back home. It was at around 5pm when it dawned on the voters that nothing was about to give and most, left angry and frustrated, decided to vacate the voting centre. This was after the branch representatives informed them after their meeting that they had been assured that the voters' rolls were still coming, asking for more patience. Presiding officers for different polling stations who were gathered at Sebele ward were also as clueless as the voters.

They complained of being kept in the dark without anyone coming forward to update them on the delay. Molepolole South constituency voters were only waiting to cast a vote for a council candidate as Member of Parliament for the area, Kabo Morwaeng, ran unopposed. Meanwhile, the Molepolole North constituency where two MP candidates were to battle it out was surprisingly the most quiet. One would have assumed that it would have been the one more vibrant and lively with the anticipated battle of the two parliamentary candidates. Three polling stations that The Monitor team visited were oddly quiet with few voters in sight. At Suping Primary School, where about five people were seen, voting observer Tsholofelo Motlalekgosi said voters had come in the morning and lost their patience as no one was present to update them. 'Voters came and decided to leave. This is why I jotted down their names and numbers in case those we are waiting for come. I already have 58 names and I wanted to make it easier that when voting starts they could be called to cast their votes,' she said. She explained that the lack of communication was the most frustrating one as elders were also present and had wanted answers for leaving their chores only for them to wait long hours.