Tonota North is ready for the by-election

| Friday August 27, 2010 00:00

FRANCISTOWN: As the Tonota North parliamentary by-election scheduled for Saturday draws near, the people of Borolong, Chadibe and Jamataka villages are ready to elect their new representative.

Although the by-election on September 4 will be between three candidates - Habaudi Hobona of the Botswana Congress Party (BCP), Fidelis Molao of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) and Mbayani Phalalo of MELS - the real battle will be between Hobona and Molao.

Political posters bearing portraits of the candidates hang on lamposts and trees, Mbayani Phalalo's the least numerous.

Other opposition parties, the Botswana National Front (BNF), the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) and the Botswana Peoples Party (BPP) have thrown their lot behind the BCP candidate.

More interesting about this election is that the voters have specific demands as evidenced by a random survey Mmegi carried out on Tuesday.'I want to vote for someone who will be able to bring change to this village,' says 29 year-old Godfrey Sesinyi of Jamataka, which lies about 40 kilometres west of Francistown.

'Someone who can understand our plight. As you can see, conditions in this village are appalling. It has been like this since I was born.'

The village is in the Mathangwane South Ward whose incumbent councillor is from the opposition BCP. The community of Jamataka is made up of several ethno-cultural groups, the majority of whom are Basarwa. It is one of the most underdeveloped villages in Tonota North constituency, though it has always voted BDP since the country's first general elections in 1965. Jamataka is the putative birthplace of the late Member of Parliament, Baledzi Gaolathe, whose death earlier this year occasioned this bye-election.

Sesinyi continues: 'Since the BDP has been here for long and has not brought any improvement to our living conditions, we want to see how the opposition can perform. They are likely to do much better than the BDP.'

A Jamakata youth, Kesego Gaotlhobogwe, holds that Tonota North deserves a youthful and energetic MP. 'We want someone who can relate to the youth and understands youth issues,' she says.

Twenty-nine year old Tapudzani Amos shares the Gaotlhobogwe's views. 'A younger person can perform much better,' she says.' However, 52 year-old Robson Bathusi believes that for the constituency to develop, its representatives should a wealthy party. Representatives from the opposition fail mainly because they do not have direct access to national funds.

Sello Thabanelo (38) and Matshwenyego Jack (33) say they have always voted for the ruling party and do not see the need to change now. Sentsho Basimolodi does not believe in change either. 'I will never change,' he says. 'I was brought up by the BDP and I will vote for anyone from this party.'

In Chadibe, people like 41 year-old Edzani Motlhabani believe Tonota North needs change in parliamentary representation. 'Perhaps this change could alleviate us from this suffering.

Our children go to school but do not get jobs afterwards. Maybe an MP from a different party has the solution,' she says, adding people cannot even get by on the Ipelegeng programme.

She is worried about delays in tarring the road between Borolong and Mathangwane, saying it is a serious problem, particularly in the rain season because public transport operators refuse to take them.

Thirty-three year old Kefilwe Setlhare says there has not been much economic development in Chadibe over the years, despite many city dwellers migrating to the village.

Self-employed builder, Kamonwa Wina, joins in to say they have always been promised that the road passing through their village would be tarred, but to no avail. Change is thus desirable also because there should be more women in Parliament, he says.

Sixty-six year old Kenaope Mathambo says as a BNF supporter, she will vote for the BCP candidate. However, her ideal candidate is one who will focus on Chadibe and not any other village.

Senior citizen Jackson Molalapata (92) believes that the opposition is the only party that could bring change to the area, noting that the ruling party has failed them in the long years it has been in power.

'Older people are suffering in this country and the old age pension fund we get is too little, to say the least,' said the old man, adding that the elite in this country are the only ones that are not suffering.

Tabona Sekalola (54) says Chadibe deserves a 24-hour clinic. 'Imagine if someone falls sick during the night or a pregnant woman goes into labour! This is the reality of life here,' he says.

Forty year-old Benjamin Batoli does not mince his words when he talks about how he has lost hope in the ruling party. 'There has to be change because Domkrag has failed to solve our problems in this area,' he enunciates.'It has no people-centred programmes.'

He notes that basic needs like water are a problem in the area and that there is no job creation.

He says the area depends on Francistown for jobs, which puts a strain on the city. The area is undeveloped also because the late MP, Gaolathe, had abandoned it, seldom visiting them to listen to their needs.

Thobekile Bontle (35) and Gladys Mbenda (42) say they want to vote for someone they know well. They say their preferred candidate should also be young and energetic in order to carry out the demands of the people with verve.

Two brothers in Borolong, Diane and Keabetswe Bagomi aged 25 and 20 respectively, say they will vote for the BCP candidate, noting that with  Dumelang Saleshando as the leader, the party has a bright vision.

'Tonota North has been under the BDP but nothing has changed,' Diane says. 'There are no programmes for the youth and we are denied farms whenever we apply for them.'

In the 2009 general election, the late Baledzi Gaolathe of the BDP won the Tonota North constituency by 5,811 against Hobona's 3,067.

The BCP won three wards out of a total of 10, the huge balance going to the BDP. The BDP later nominated two more councillors to their numbers.