Billy, a two-term Member of Parliament (MP), was beaten by his political protégé, Godisang Radisigo, who is also the Mayor of Francistown. Radisigo cruised to victory in a battle to secure candidacy for the BDP at the 2024 General Election in Francistown East constituency after he garnered 1,238 votes to Billy’s 1,131. Billy is the incumbent. It required a giant leap of faith for Radisigo, a former public transporter, to defeat Billy who was eyeing a third term in Parliament. Before Radisigo tested the waters, many had doubted that he would dislodge Billy from his seat and thought that he was fighting a losing battle against him.
But Radisigo defied the odds and punched above his weight to defeat Billy. Fighting in Radisigo’s corner were councillors Oduetse Tumelo and Eric Mabengano of Selepa and Ntshe wards respectively. In Billy’s corner were councillors Lesego Kwambala and Lillian Griesmeir of Itekeng and Central wards respectively. Rumours abound that Billy wasn't on good terms with Tumelo and Mabengano, a factor that may have contributed to his loss. The councillor for Donga ward, Morulaganyi Mothowabarwa, was not aligned with any of the sides hence when voters headed to the polls on Saturday, some gave Radisigo a slim chance of toppling Billy, a two-term MP who was not challenged in the BDP primaries in 2018.
Unbeknownst to Radisigo’s doubters, he had thoroughly done his homework and that became clear when the votes of Donga, the last ward to be counted, were counted. Radisigo dominated in four of the six wards in the constituency. Billy prevailed in two wards. There was a tie of votes in one ward. In an interview with The Monitor following his surprise victory, Radisigo said that his time as a councillor, deputy mayor, and later as mayor taught him a lot. He feels he can use this experience to represent the aspirations of the people of Francistown in Parliament.
“The experience has given me immense motivation to serve the people of Francistown in Parliament. My biggest goal if voted to Parliament is to unite and give hope to the people of Francistown," Radisigo said. "Unity should be the starting point if we want to revolutionise the city’s economy. I want to instil confidence in the people of Francistown, empowering them to believe they have a significant role in the development of the city’s economy,” he added. Radisigo served two five-year terms as a councillor.
In his first term, he was the deputy mayor and during his second one, he was elected city mayor. “During my tenure as a mayor, I have learnt to understand the needs and aspirations of the people of Francistown from all walks of life. That is why I believe I will be able to effectively represent them in Parliament,” he said. At the general election, Radisigo will face Tiroyaone Ntsima of the Umbrella for Democratic Change, Vain Mamela of Botswana Congress Party, and Keorapetse Muzila of Botswana Patriotic Front.
