Zazambi Drops From Election Race
Chakalisa Dube | Monday November 19, 2018 13:20
The development means that the party might have to go for fresh primaries if members do not agree on a consensus candidate.
Tuelo secured candidacy for the 2019 general elections at the BDP first round primaries early this year where he won against seasoned BDP cadres such as Peter Nare.
In recent weeks there has been widespread speculation that he has decided against contesting the elections.
Tuelo brought the speculation to an end when he made an official announcement that he will not contest in 2019 during a closed door meeting with the party’s Francistown South branch leadership and a host of BDP activists during a closed door meeting on Friday at the ward. He reportedly stated that his decision to quit was fuelled by his desire to pursue his postgraduate studies.
The withdrawal of Tuelo from the 2019 race is viewed as big blow to the BDP. The 31-year old was seen as a strong opponent to incumbent Uyapo Nyeku of the Alliance for Progressives. He is reported to have made it clear that contesting the elections may impact negatively on his studies.
“For now I do not want to go into specifics, but it is true that I have decided not to contest after doing a thorough evaluation. My intention is to progress educationally and I believe I can do it when I am still young,” said Tuelo who holds a Degree in Computing from Botho University. “It will be taxing to double politics and education. I am currently doing a research along the lines of my first degree course, but my intention is to get a Masters Degree as soon as I finish the research.”
He said he cannot divulge some details of the meeting he had with the branch leadership and party members last week because it was ‘confidential information.’
During the meeting the regional leadership and some key party activists reportedly tried to convince Tuelo not ditch his bid to contest the primaries, but it is said he rebuffed their efforts and told them that he has already made up his mind.
It is also reported that he told party members that he would only remain part of the strategy team for the Francistown South constituency parliamentary campaign.
Tuelo rose to prominence late in 2013 when he led a petition that culminated in the postponement of the Francistown West by-election. The residents petitioned the government because they wanted Ignatius Moswaane who had been barred by the IEC through a court order not to contest. That was after one of the losers Whyte Marobela protested the BDP primaries won by Moswaane.
The by-election were eventually held without the participation of Moswaane and it turned out that the petition was bogus as it featured names of dead people. There have been insinuations that Tuelo was nominated as a councilor as a reward for playing starring role in the petition that led to the petition being bogus.