With election day fast approaching, the question on everyone’s mind is which of the three presidential nominees, Ian Khama, Duma Boko and Dumelang Saleshando, will occupy the State House after October 24. Battle lines for occupancy at the State House were drawn on Saturday at the Gaborone High Court when the three were nominated to represent their respective parties as presidents.
Khama of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) will do anything within his means to stay at the State House. Why should he not after making millions of Pula renovations to the premises? Khama even constructed an army garrison at the State House that was once occupied by his father, the late Sir Seretse Khama, from 1966 to 1980. The Umbrella for Democratic Change president, Boko, would on one hand hope that his party triumphs at the polls so that he moves in as soon as Khama vacates the State House. Of recent he has experienced a series of burglaries at his Tlokweng house resulting in speculation that he is on the dreaded ‘hit list’ of politicians the state would like to see ‘eliminated’. The State House would be an ideal address for Boko since security is a major issue for him. Saleshando of the Botswana Congress Party on the other hand would also like the idea of moving out of his plush Phakalane Estates residence and into the coveted State House. Unlike Khama and Saleshando, Boko is trying for the first time to be elected for the office of the president. Khama was nominated for re-election on Saturday having first emerged victorious in October 2009 where he ran against then first time presidential candidate, Saleshando. It would be the first time that Boko will be casting his vote at the polls, having failed to do so in previous elections.
