We lost but they trafficked � Masisi
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Wednesday October 7, 2015 16:27
Botswana’s vice president says the ruling party lost the weekend by-election in Boswelatlou, Lobatse because the UDC trafficked voters into the ward.
Masisi told a press conference yesterday that the BDP investigations revealed that at least 400 voters had been shipped into Boswelatlou for the election.
The UDC’s Themba Stimela won the ward with 183 against former long-time ward councillor Zubeida Raphael of the BDP, who managed 165 votes.
“We have found out that about 400 voters in that ward were trafficked. It became clear to us because when we phoned them to ask for votes, some of them clearly told us that they had never stayed in Lobatse and they even told us the name of the person who registered them.”
“We had wanted to win the ward badly because we still believe that it belongs to the BDP and not the opposition,” Masisi said.
He said some of the voters came to register in that ward because they wanted to vote for their relatives.
“The voter trafficking was done by opposition parties,” Masisi said.
“Trafficking is bad and it has to be condemned since it kills democracy.
“It compromises the integrity of elections and those who conduct elections. It is good for parties to lose fairly than to be cheated by people through trafficking.
“Trafficking will at some point annoy voters and it will disturb the peace and tranquillity that Botswana has long enjoyed.”
The BDP chair said the BDP had performed pretty well, “looking at the voters trafficked in”. “We have in fact reduced the margin because we managed to convince some of the people who were trafficked to vote for us. Again some of the people who were trafficked were BDP sympathisers who wanted to vote for their relatives and they opted to vote for their party,” he said.
While the BDP claims that voters were trafficked in for the weekend vote, figures uncovered by Mmegi suggest that the number of registered voters in the ward actually fell between the 2009 and 2014 general elections as well as the recent by-election.
In 2009, 835 people had registered to vote and only 539 voted. In that general election, 349 people voted Raphael of the BDP, while Botswana National Front (BNF) had 244.
In 2014, 792 people registered to vote and only 547 voted. The 2014 voters roll was used for the weekend election and a total of 350 voted out of the possible 792.
Boswelatlou has a population of 1,413 people. UDC spokesperson, Moeti Mohwasa dismissed Masisi’s allegations, saying the BDP chair was trying all he could to justify their loss. “BDP has lost all by-elections.
Do you want to tell me that we trafficked in all by-elections? The BDP has to accept the reality that Batswana have lost trust in them. Our margins are growing in all by-elections and this will happen till 2019.
“Again the BDP is well known for trafficking and they have been practising it all these years,” Mohwasa said.
It was also revealed during the media briefing, which was called to give an update on upcoming events, that on Friday, the party would hold a consultative forum in Mmadinare with all elected leaders to discuss among others the water and electricity crises. The meeting will also unravel the challenges within the organisation.
Masisi added that on Saturday, the party would hold a special congress to continue discussing issues that were not discussed in Mmadinare. The Saturday meeting will receive reports from the former party chairperson, secretary, and president among others.