Why bother to vote, Phikwe asks

Selebi-Phikwe is on its knees PIC: KEOAGILE BONANG
Selebi-Phikwe is on its knees PIC: KEOAGILE BONANG

SELEBI-PHIKWE: The unimpressive voter registration numbers here are hardly surprising as the north-eastern town enters its third year of economic collapse, amidst the explosion of social ills such as crime and overall despondency.

Phikwe continues to battle the lingering ghost-town status brought on by the October 2016 closure of its economic mainstay, BCL Mine. While the Independent Electoral Commission is still fine-tuning the count, officials have already confirmed that voter registrations are drastically down in Selebi-Phikwe.

“During our meetings with them, some of the residents told us they could not register because they were not sure they would still be in Phikwe next year (during the general elections),” says IEC election officer, Sadie Ontiretse.

Editor's Comment
Get back what was stolen, and lock the door

That a single private law firm pocketed P6.5 million for just four cases, out of a total P11.1 million paid for 25 matters, reeks of a system that was not merely disorganised but open to abuse.Bayford has taken a welcome first step by telling the Public Accounts Committee the truth. Now he must act decisively to ensure it never happens again and that any money lost to wrongdoing is recovered.The figures are staggering. Whilst ordinary Batswana...

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