Kethoilwe To Employ New Campaign Tactics
Chakalisa Dube | Monday April 16, 2018 13:29
Kethoilwe booked his candidacy at the upcoming Moselewapula ward by-election after defeating businessman Maxwell Motsu, Gilbert Makombo and Chimbise Chimbise at the party primaries held over the weekend.
The by-election is meant to replace the late Lechedzani Modenga, who was the area councillor.
Kethoilwe garnered 133 votes, while his closest challenger, Chimbise managed 125 votes. Makombo and Motsu attracted 89 and 46 votes respectively.
Kethoilwe is no stranger to the people of Moselewapula. He lost the ward to the late Modenga at the 2014 general elections.
“In 2014, I focused on the elderly and left out the youth during my campaigns. This time around I will change employ more tactics aimed at reaching them during my campaigns. I will be visible in many platforms that they like such as the social media.”
“Even during the campaign for the primaries, I interacted with them more, and from the atmosphere on Election Day I assume that they voted me in impressive numbers,” he said.
Kethoilwe who is a former soldier added, “The political landscape has also changed since 2014. Voters in the ward appear to be now more informed and embrace issue based politics than politics of mudslinging. For this reason, I will change tact during campaigns and focus more on issues affecting the electorates. I will do a lot of research as I do not want to tell voters the rhetoric during campaigns”.
Kethoilwe further stated that the controversy that surrounded the late Modenga’s reign might work in his favour at the by-election.
The former Botswana People’s Party (BPP) firebrand highlighted that through his interactions with some electorates in the ward, he has noticed that there is a high possibility that they may not vote the BDP on account of controversies that surrounded Modenga and seemingly lack of action against the latter.
Kethoilwe has taken part and lost in all the general elections held since the 1999 general elections. On all occasions, he contested in a new ward. He lost three times at BCP and once at BPP.
“In all those losses I gained a lot of experience in relation to fighting for political office. I am convinced that the experience I have gained will help me win the by-election. In fact, in 2014 I fared much better, which is why I am optimistic that I can win the by-election,” he said.
At the 2014 general elections, Modenga won by 663 votes while Kethoilwe managed 379 votes. The former area councillor, Johnson Moremi who stood as an independent candidate attracted 220 votes. A 120 people voted for the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC). The BCP is now part of the UDC. Meanwhile, all the weekend primary election losing candidates have accepted election results and have vowed to back Kethoilwe.