Battlelines drawn in Palapye, Tsabong
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Wednesday January 18, 2017 15:41
The two wards, Tsabong North and Boikaego-Madiba ward in Palapye will be fought for in by-elections this weekend. Councillors Mmuso Kgannyeng in Tsabong North and Gobonetse Richie Kenosi in Boikaego-Madiba both of the BDP passed away late last year.
BDP leaders, including party chairman, Mokgweetsi Masisi and secretary general, Botsalo Ntuane recently visited the two areas conducting house-to-house campaigns.
“We are as prepared as we can be,” Ntuane told Mmegi yesterday. “Our campaign teams and scores of volunteers are on the ground to assist the candidates who are leading from the front.
“Remember these wards were BDP before they fell vacant so we are optimistic we will retain them. That means we are not leaving anything to chance.”
He said the party was working around the clock to ensure that its members in the area were ready to vote.
The Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) was equally hopeful of unseating the BDP. The bloc’s spokesperson, Moeti Mohwasa said they were hopeful that they would win the two council seats because opposition parties were cooperating. “Remember that the reason why opposition parties were not winning other wards was because there was a split of numbers amongst them. We have fielded credible candidates in these two wards whom people like. The parties have done necessary work on the ground to try to talk to people,” Mohwasa said.
He continued; “People again are protesting against the BDP on some of the things done by government especially the recent retrenchments that had affected people badly. Just last weekend during the candidate launch at Tsabong, we welcomed more than 30 members from the BDP”. Mohwasa said Botswana Congress Party president, Dumelang Saleshando, would address voters on Friday in Tsabong, while UDC leader, Duma Boko would address voters in Palapye.