Tonota North By-Election Beckons

The former Minister of Finance and Development Planning was MP for Tonota since 2004.  He first made it to Parliament in 1999 when he was also appointed Finance Minister as a specially elected MP until 2009. 

It was only after last year's general election that he was deployed to the Ministry of Trade and Industry. He was retired from cabinet this year due to ill health. During last year's general election, Gaolathe was returned to Parliament with 5,811 votes compared to 3,067 for the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) candidate, Dr Habaudi Hobona. A total of 12,680 voters had registered in the constituency. The by-election comes when there has been a split in the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) following the formation of the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD).