In the context of Botswana, the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) has had the rare distinction of enjoying custody of the power of the people for almost six decades. But, 2024 is no ordinary year for the country. Once again, the people have regained their power following the elapse of the five-year political contract, which they (the people) temporarily transferred to the BDP in the last election cycle from 2019 to 2024. Now, another opportunity presents itself to the 61 political constituencies to exercise their right to self-determination.
This is a choice between extending the BDP's uninterrupted monopoly of power and ushering in a novel and unprecedented political dispensation. Determining which party or individual candidates to settle for is not as simple and clear as choosing between good and evil. All political forces involved in the political contest possess a good mix of evil and good. The two options are maintaining the familiar status quo with its known strengths and imperfections or settling for an audacious alternative route that would usher a novel and unchartered territory. This is the challenge facing the electorate in Selebi-Phikwe, a town that has become a shadow of its former self since the demise of mining in 2016. It is common knowledge that the Delimitation Commission saw no justification to make any drastic changes in the political boundaries of the town. Just like in 2019, Selebi-Phikwe is subdivided into two electoral war zones: East and West. The political atmosphere is a bit overcrowded because of the fragmentation of opposition parties as compared to the previous election where they fought as a united front. On the western front, three political parties, the Botswana Congress Party (BCP), the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), and the Umbrella For Democratic Change, are competing for the soul of the constituency. Interestingly, by design or accident, the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) did not field any parliamentary candidate in the west. For some unclear reason, the East has attracted more contestants than the West as five candidates are vying for the vacant political office. Of these five, four are representing political parties, while one is an independent candidate. The parties seeking a stake in the constituency are BDP, BPF, UDC, BCP, and the independent voice. It seems Selebi-Phikwe is poised to have a mouth-watering contest where all political players would give a good account of themselves. Save for the little-known independent candidate, it seems there are no political minnows in the town. It is pretty hard to predict the outcomes with any degree of certainty. However, a little tour of the strengths and limitations of all the contestants might shed some light. It is safe to begin with an assessment and appraisal of the institutional strength or capacity of the players involved.
