There are fears that if the BDP leadership fails to mend fences amongst its members in the area, the ruling party may very well find itself bidding farewell to the constituency. Tension arose after the CC declared that a re-run in the constituency could not be held, citing time constraints from the electoral board. Consequently, they wielded their political authority to nominate Finance Minister Peggy Serame as the party’s candidate thereby ousting Health Minister Dikoloti from the race. The decision disregarded Dikoloti’s convincing victory at the party primaries held in July. Although Serame had garnered impressive support in the initial primary elections (despite her loss), the CC's decision has only deepened divisions within the party ranks. To make matters worse, President Mokgweetsi Masisi suspended Dikoloti for 60 days after the latter took the party to court for removing him from the Goodhope-Mmathethe constituency candidacy.
While the opposition parties may not be as formidable as the BDP, a split vote reminiscent of the 2014 General Election could very well tip the scales in their favour. During a recent Mmegi team visit to the area, it became evident that many residents felt disillusioned and expressed doubts about voting for the ruling party. Their sentiments echoed a growing frustration with what they perceived as the party’s disregard for their voices. "The BDP is at odds with the residents. We want to send a strong message to the party leadership: They cannot dictate our representatives," emphasised a concerned resident, Kelebaone Rapelang, during an interview on Sunday at Pitsane village.
