Ngoma served as Francistown mayor from 1999 until 2004 under the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP). Between 2015 and 2019, he was a Specially Nominated Councillor in Francistown East Constituency, after failing several times to win a parliamentary seat. He ditched the former ruling party after allegedly realising that Bulela Ditswe is always marred by irregularities and daylight cheating to favour certain candidates. In his bid to become Francistown mayor, Ngoma will face off with another UDC councillor, Gaone Majere of Tshwaragano ward.
The decision on who should be the city mayor as well as the deputy will be decided in a caucus meeting featuring UDC councillors and party leaders (in Francistown). The names of those who want to challenge for the position of deputy mayor are still not in the public domain. The UDC is the majority party in the Francistown City Council chambers. This gives the party liberty to decide the mayor at its caucus before endorsement at the full council meeting, which is billed for next week. There have been mixed feelings about Ngoma’s candidacy with some critics suggesting that he should pave a way for others to take over. “I believe the city has regressed in all aspects of development. During my tenure as mayor, Francistown advanced in many areas in terms of most notably in terms of infrastructure and economically. I successfully advocated for the construction of Phillip Matante International Airport in the city when government wanted to construct it in Serule,” Ngoma told The Monitor this week.
