This week the Minister of Local and Rural Development Kgotla Autlwetse issued election instruments in accordance with section 154 (2) of the Electoral Act ordering the holding of the by-election for the council member for Bosele and Grootlaagte wards. BDP spokesperson, Kagelelo Kentse said: “We are going to hold primary elections over the weekend to select our candidates for the two wards. Deadline for submission of expression of interest was completed over the weekend.”
Meanwhile the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) has selected candidates for the two wards, while other parties are still on the lookout. “We have found a candidate for Bosele ward. Mpule Maplanka will be our candidate in that area,” UDC spokesperson Moeti Mohwasa told MmegiOnline in an interview. UDC candidate for Grootlaagte ward is Sehakgamaleng Tjitemisa. Efforts to get a comment from Botswana Congress Party (BCP) and Alliance for Progressives (AP) spokespersons were unsuccessful as their mobile phones rang unanswered. The two council seats became vacant after the death of the two councillors. According to the Electoral Act, council seat elections should be held within three months of the seat being declared vacant. Bosele ward councillor the late Thabanyane Mmualefe died on January 1, 2023, while the late Grootlaagte councillor, Ezekiel Tjiporeka Kajuu died on January 12, 2023.
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), spokesperson, Osupile Maroba told MmegiOnline that nominations for candidates will be received on March 2, 2023.
