Thriller expected in Tonota

Ryder Gabathuse | Friday April 25, 2014 11:09

 

At its best, the battle could be reduced to a two-horse race with the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) and opposition Botswana National Front (BNF) and its Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) partners leading the fight for the crown.

Botswana Congress Party (BCP) is also contesting for this constituency and already leader of MELS (Marx, Engels, Lenin and Stalin) party is the declared candidate through a special arrangement with the BCP.

It is not business as usual in this constituency in which the BNF recently successfully recruited BDP frustrated former Tonota South MP, Pono Moatlhodi to their fold.

If history is anything to go by, the BDP seemingly goes into the general elections with an upper hand since they won the 2009 elections through Moatlhodi.

Interestingly, numbers showed that the BNF had made history for the first time since independence when they scooped three seats out of a possible seven council seats.

The BNF civic leaders, Gaefele Sedombo in Tonota South East, retired Brigadier Bathoeng Maseko in Mandunyane and Lemme Kgopa in Tonota West had every reason to celebrate their hard-earned victory in an area that has been predominantly a stronghold of the BDP.

That was 2009. Fast-forward to 2014 and a lot of dynamics have taken shape in Tonota and definitely a lot of changes have been instituted across the political divide.

First, it was retired Maseko around 2011 who defected to the BDP at a time when it was least expected of him to reduce the influence of the party in the constituency.

Councillor Kgopa of Tonota West however, dismissed the defection of Maseko as an empty one.  Kgopa further claimed this week that his former comrade, who lost the BDP primaries last year, was good riddance at the BNF.

“There is no turning back as our ultimate goal is to win the constituency. There are signs that it is winnable,” said Kgopa. He insisted that in Mandunyane, it was Maseko and his wife who had left the BNF as he (Maseko) could not show who had left with him.  Kgopa was also optimistic that when Maseko returns to the BNF, he will be returning with another crowd from the BDP, as he did a few years ago when he joined the opposition party from the ruling BDP.  

The recent delimitation exercise has resulted in two additional wards in Tonota from the previous seven.  There has been an ongoing debate with some people feeling strongly that the BDP is fearful of the BNF challenge to the extent that it has added two more wards in areas where they are strong.

Those in the know felt that in an endeavour to stop the BNF from wreaking further havoc in Tonota, the BDP has hatched a plan that it’s sure will work in their favour.

The delimitation exercise has added Mabesekwa into Tonota and further split the original Tholodi ward and given birth to Semotswane ward which all the time was part of Tholodi ward.

Now, Kgopa who relocated from Gaborone-West, prior to the 2009 general elections, where he was a councillor to Tonota, is getting closer to realising his dream. He relocated to Tonota with a dream of enhancing the fortunes of the BNF in an area that was previously deemed impenetrable. Kgopa maintains that his major turning point is the recent defection of Moatlhodi to the BNF.

Whilst the BDP parliamentary candidate in Tonota, tenderpreneur-cum-politician Thapelo Olopeng dismissed Moatlhodi as a bad loser this week, Kgopa saw an opportunity in his (Moatlhodi’s) defection.

“As the BNF welcomes Moatlhodi, to its fold I tell you our win has finally come because this man has been an obstacle to BNF victory. If you capture the commander of the army you have been fighting then you have no more battle,” he said. Kgopa is convinced that Olopeng who is campaigning with a completely new team of councillors, has a tall order in Tonota.

But, Olopeng is convinced that he has assembled the best team to win the elections with a wide margin, as “the BNF is not a threat to the BDP at all. Come and witness political power at the Tonota bus/taxi rank where party stalwarts will be launching the candidates,” said Olopeng who was convinced that there would be a massive turnout at their event.

He regards Moatlhodi’s departure as good riddance from the BDP because already there were signs that he was no longer effective.

Moatlhodi’s political character will be put to the test on Sunday when the BNF leadership will officially hand him over to the electorates.

Most importantly, it is at this meeting where the numbers that he has promised to defect with to the BNF will be openly counted.

Already in the BNF, Moatlhodi has been re-christened ‘Queen-Bee’ because of the crowd that he has reportedly crossed the floor with.

Moatlhodi, who is craving to take his former party, the BDP head on, as a parliamentary candidate might face a few hurdles in his new party.BNF president Duma Boko said at a recent press conference that it is the constituents who hold the key to who represents them.

However, supporters of Maokaneng Bontshetse who has been identified as the party candidate are not ready to accommodate Moatlhodi and this situation has the potential of reversing the fortunes of the BNF.

The question that remains is what happens to Moatlhodi if the BNF rejects him as their candidate?  Will he jump ship and become an independent candidate?

All these factors will hold the key to which of the parties will win the elections.

However, with the BCP represented by Themba Joina of MELS, they have a doubtful start given the strength of MELS and even that of the BCP in Tonota in particular.

The BCP did not contest the parliamentary seat in the 2009 elections and only time will tell what strength they are bringing to the contest.

BCP publicity secretary, Taolo Lucas could not comment referring enquiries to Joina.

Generally, the BDP parliamentary candidate, Olopeng is a generous giver who has been doling out blankets to the constituents. The BNF has encouraged its supporters to take the blankets but vote for their party.

Given the dynamics in this constituency, the BDP expects to get a tough run for its money, especially from the determined BNF and its partners.

Efforts to reach Mzwinila who has since gone solo as a parliamentary candidate, were futile at press time. Mzwinila made history in Tonota when three of his council candidates ousted BDP councillors in the 2009 elections.

There is nothing obvious in Tonota, therefore, the winning party will have to put its best foot forward between now and October.