Ftown Mayoral race in full swing
Chakalisa Dube | Friday November 29, 2019 17:59
Until recently it was widely thought that Itekeng ward councillor Lesego Kwambala, Sylvia Muzila and Satellite South councillor Godisang Radisigo were the only ones in the race for the position, but apparently Muzila is now out of the race after she failed to make it as a nominated councillor.
Yesterday, Lucas, a Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) activist who was recently nominated councillor in Francistown was restrained and philosophical when asked whether or not he had joined the mayoral race.
“As a young politician, it is inevitable that I want to grow.
However, my political destiny would be determined by God. God is the reason why I made it to the council as a nominated councillor,” Lucas responded when he asked if he aspired to be the mayor of Francistown.
The mayoral post will be determined at BDP caucus due to be held soon. According to ruling party insiders, Radisigo and Kwambala are said to have heightened campaign efforts for the race for the mayor’s position.
Radisigo is a former deputy mayor for Francistown. The BDP caucus endorsed him as deputy mayor ahead of Kwambala nearly three years ago. The BDP enjoys a majority at the Francistown City Council (FCC) chambers, that explains why the party has the liberty to endorse its choice for the position of mayor and deputy mayor through a caucus.
The candidate will then be endorsed during a full council meeting without much opposition as the BDP enjoys a majority. Information from various sources within the ruling party suggested that Kwambala was already leading the race. It is said that he enjoyed the support of a majority of ruling party councillors in all three constituencies making up the city, most notable in Francistown West. In total, there are 16 BDP councillors in Francistown including the four who were recently nominated by the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Eric Molale.
Sources have noted that in Francistown West, four councillors whose names are known to this publication back Kwambala’s mayoral bid. Only two councillors in Francistown West are thought to back Radisigo. In Francistown East, it is said that Kwambala enjoyed the support of two councillors while two others were backing Radisigo.
The BDP has six councillors in Francistown East including Radisigo and Kwambala. It is obvious that Lucas, Kwambala and Radisigo will vote for themselves during the party caucus.
Three (with the exception of Lucas’s vote) councillors in Francistown South are said to be backing Lucas.
Including his vote, Kwambala has a total of seven while Radisigo boasts five (including his own vote). Lucas is assured of four votes (including his vote). It is still unclear as to who is likely to be Francistown deputy mayor though.
Yesterday sources within the ruling party said that Kwambala and Radisigo intended to trade off the position of deputy mayor with Lucas in exchange for support from Francistown South councillors.
It still unclear as to whether there is a councillor who is interested in the position of deputy mayor in Francistown West or not.
As per tradition within the BDP, a mayor and his or her deputy cannot be from the same constituency. Still yesterday, both Radisigo and Kwambala maintained that they were interested in the mayoral position.
They however declined to field more questions in relation to the mayoral bid. They both said that they would be breaching party procedures by talking too much about the race.