Sekoma victory rekindles hope at Philip Matante East
Chakalisa Dube | Tuesday March 8, 2016 14:43
Francistown South branch secretary, Modiri Lucas, yesterday confirmed that the party has chosen to hold the primaries over the weekend in a bid to expedite its preparations for the by-election.
The by-election seeks to replace former Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) councillor Shadreck Nyeku, who died last month after collapsing during a party meeting.
Yesterday, after a party internal meeting, Lucas said six candidates, Segametsi Sebenyane, Elizabeth Morebodi, Olatotswe Speakson, Peter Nare, Ditiro Morebodi and Elizabeth Morebodi and Kgabinyana Masalila have been given the go-ahead to challenge each other at the primaries.
Masalila represented the BDP at the 2014 general elections and lost to Nyeku. It was initially anticipated that nine candidates would take part in the primaries but some are said to have later reversed their decision to contest.
“The party will have a pre-counselling of all candidates on Thursday. The session will focus more on helping the candidates on how to handle themselves before and after the primaries,” said Lucas adding that the BDP Political Education Committee (PEC) will conduct the counselling session.
In addition Lucas said all the members who will take part in the primaries have voluntarily signed a memorandum of understanding that they will support whoever wins the party primaries without any reservations.
“Unity is very key if we want to reclaim the ward from the UDC. This is why the candidates signed the MoA,” he said.
The Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD), who are affiliated to the Umbrella For Democratic Change (UDC), also announced late last week that it will hold its primaries over the weekend.
The BCP, who also fielded a candidate in the ward at the 2014 general elections, will not contest the by-election. Instead it will back the UDC as part of a by-election Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) the two parties signed last month.
Businesswoman Lillian Griesmier, Uyapo Nyeku who is the late Shadreck’s brother as well as a renowned BMD activist, will fight it out in the primaries.