Mmegi

Ice cold scramble for the Central District

BDP members in Palapye.PIC.KENNEDY RAMOKONE
BDP members in Palapye.PIC.KENNEDY RAMOKONE

Whistling whirlwinds emitted cold air like there was an ice stream gurgling over underground rocks. This was no fantasy television show but ‘winter was here’ in Bagammangwato over the weekend as political parties assembled in the Central District in what was an ice cold pursuit of votes, writes Mmegi staffer SPIRA TLHANKANE.

The takeover of some constituencies by the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) from the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) in 2019 can be described by some as ‘ice cold’ with an emoji emphasis. Like Polaris over the North Pole, the BPF remains fixed on the Central region with essentially no movement despite the BDP’s promise of a brighter star in the region’s night-time sky.After enduring the BPF frostbite for five years, the BDP grabbed their red blanket and headed to Serowe and Palapye this past weekend hoping that the yellow ‘Ke nako’ permafrost has thawed just in time for the upcoming October polls.

But the BDP’s ‘Jeke’ literally met some cold front when the BPF counterattacked and showed the ruling outfit that what was done in 2019 is no milder form of cold injury. It was an intriguing sight as the BDP and BPF switched places on Saturday and Sunday to hold star rallies. By countering the BDP, the BPF wanted to make sure that the frostbite patron and former president Ian Khama left on the ruling party five years ago does not get better with rewarming. The BPF wanted the BDP to remain with that numbness and stiffness.

Editor's Comment
Kudos to Botswana Police Service, other security entities

“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing.”– Theodore RooseveltThrough the two-day event, over 700 athletes from 40 countries, and multitudes of spectators gathered in Gaborone to witness a world-class sporting spectacle.Beyond the medals and performances on the track, Botswana won something equally important: international respect. One of the key pillars behind the success was the sterling work done by the...

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