UDC launches Gaolathe on Saturday

Staff Writer | Friday February 21, 2014 17:42

Gaolathe, the son of the former Minister of Finance and Development Planning, the late Baledzi Gaolathe, believes he has a strong hard working campaign team to take him to Parliament. What is likely to boost Gaolathe is the fact that the constituency was once a stronghold for UDC affiliates, the Botswana National Front (BNF).

Gaolathe will be launched on Saturday at Rainbow Hall at Rainbow school at Block 9, by among other the UDC and BNF president, Duma Boko and Botswana Movement for Democracy president and UDC secretary general Gomolemo Motswaledi.

On his Facebook page, Gaolatlhe, who has worked and consulted for governments and institutions outside Botswana, assured his followers of a ‘special guest’. Speculation is rife that it could be an African statesman.

Also on the promise card is a speech by his former student.  Since last year Gaolathe had been offering free lessons in mathematics, general knowledge and life skills at Bophirima Primary School. 

This is something that he intends to extend countrywide and increase the subjects since some of his students are willing to help.

“We are doing house to house campaigns every week on the constituency. Our teams consist of both elders and youth. Constituents are welcoming us with open hands and they sometimes do help us a lot in our campaigns,” he said.

A political analyst at University of Botswana (UB) Dr Bashi Mothusi told Mmegi that the constituency is not easily winnable but it depends on the effort done by the candidate on how he connects with voters.

“The difficulty is that two candidates for that constituency are young, eloquent and articulate issues well. Botsalo Ntuane for the ruling BDP has built his own support in the area. What might disadvantage him is the fact that he once defected from the BDP to Botswana Movement for Democracy,” Mothusi said.

He said both Ntuane and Gaolathe are hard workers. Another youthful candidate likely to join the battle for Bonnington South is independent candidate Christian Nthuba who was suspended from the BDP.

If the disgruntled Nthuba steps in, he is likely to split votes for the BDP. Another candidate is Abby Chengeta of the Botswana Congress Party (BCP).

Chengeta has contested general elections twice and lost.  In 2009 general elections the BDP won the constituency with 4,669 votes followed by the BCP with 2,102.  The BNF represented by Moses Bantsi came third with 1,414 votes and an independent candidate Robert Molefhabangwe trailed behind with 1,100 votes.