Of armed cops and polls

"Re tsile go betsa go utlwala khiring, khorong, khorong" were the enchanting songs from the group that had flocked the counting centre in support of the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) candidate, Onalepelo Kedikilwe.

The group told The Monitor reporters they call themselves ‘Madibela Tlhopo’ (loosely translated to ‘protectors of the electoral system’). The group of men and women, mostly armed with their alcoholic beverages were arguing that they were solely there to protect their candidate and the electoral process. According to them, ‘it was not business as usual’. Perhaps the first real threat came at around 5:30pm when they were forcibly denied entry into the polling station which also housed the counting centre.