With the Okavango floodwaters (Leleme la Metsi) expected to reach here in a few days, opposition outfit, the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) arrived on the shore first as it sought to cement its grip on all the seven North West constituencies in the upcoming General Election. Writes Mmegi staffer SPIRA TLHANKANE
MAUN: For the residents here, Leleme la Metsi is vital and said to have great spiritual and medicinal powers. The floodwaters come through a dried river and it is called ‘Leleme’ (tongue) in Ngamiland. Travelling along the Boro River, Leleme la Metsi passes from the Buffalo Fence to Maun all the way to the Thamalakane River. The water is also used by traditional doctors and some pastors from African churches. Although the BCP left Maun before the arrival of Leleme la Metsi, the significance of their conference a few days before the water could perhaps bring them the ‘river blessings’ they surely need ahead of the October polls.
The BCP held its last conference before the election in their stronghold of the North West, an area they call ‘Bethlehem’. But as the BCP painted Maun with the lime colour, it hoped to continue drinking from the same stream despite the thirst which has engulfed the residents of the area. Indications here as people wait for the arrival of Leleme la Metsi is that the shortage of water has been a challenge in Botswana’s wildlife corridor and the tourism heartland.
After the Delimitation Commission increased the number of North West constituencies from five to seven, it means that besides Chobe, the BCP will be targeting the new constituencies of Maun North and the other Okavango constituency after the latter was split into two. Currently, the BCP holds four constituencies of the North West, namely Ngami, Maun West, Maun East, and Okavango.
The Chobe constituency is currently under the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) and remains a top priority for the BCP.
The BCP vice president, Taolo Lucas, boasted over the President’s Day holidays that North West has been hailed as the Biblical Bethlehem by veteran BCP politician, Vain Mamela. “It’s true, the North West is the birthplace of Jesus Christ,” he said. He added that the BCP may have its grip on the North West but like Jesus, they are not confined to the place they were born. Lucas said this is so because the BCP managed to take their disciples and spread the word to areas like Bobirwa, Tswapong South and Selebi-Phikwe where the BCP has legislators.
The BCP, by holding their last gathering before the election in their stranglehold, wanted to show a display of fealty to the people of Ngamiland. After the conference as delegates departed, the BCP showed how serious it is about taking all of the North West as council and parliamentary candidates remained behind to strategise ahead of the General Election. They wanted to build on one of the conference’s resolutions which is to “push all the BCP candidates to triple their efforts to emancipate the people from extreme socio-economic challenges emanating from the current poor governance system and non-performing BDP-led economy; failing which, all non-performing candidates be recalled as per laid down procedures.”
The advice throughout the conference, however, was that the BCP should not relax because the North West has to be retained because it took some effort to win it over the years. Over the past 30 plus years, the BCP has quietly gained overwhelming power in the North West. It did not happen overnight, and it would not reverse itself soon if the weekend conference is anything to go by. The implications could remain for years and even beyond the next General Election.
The route to big gains in North West
For decades, the BCP did not have a stronger brand in the area because it was relatively new. At the time, their parent party, the Botswana National Front (BNF), had locked down the South, the red-ruling BDP did well in the central, and also held some strongholds down in the south.
That started to change after the BCP merged with the Botswana Alliance Movement (BAM) to change from dove and rainbow symbol to the black cow symbol (Kgomo e tshwana). Some North West constituencies such as Ngami used to belong to the BDP during former minister Jacob Nkate’s time as the MP but the BCP and the now defunct BAM combined force entrenched the BCP’s footprint in the area. It is like they were able to sneak up on the BDP.
In the Okavango, which has now been divided into two, the BCP is still confident that they will win both constituencies. The BCP has always dominated since the days of their late former legislator, Joseph Kavindama, who can be remembered as the sole MP who returned to Parliament after 10 other BCP legislators lost the 1999 General Elections a year after leaving the BNF to form the BCP. If you talk about the Okavango constituency, a number of legendary names pop up like the late Motsamai Mpho, who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) between 1969 and 1979. Okavango has been an opposition stronghold since 1966.
For a long time, the BCP saw the North West as winnable but needed time to build local political strength to become competitive. Saleshando indicated over the weekend that the BCP brand had improved under his leadership and perhaps he was right because it was under his leadership when the BCP under the UDC managed to win four North West constituencies for the very first time in 2019. They even made the victory sweeter because they managed to snatch Okavango from their former MP, Bagalatia Arone, who had defected to the BDP with their ticket.
But as the BCP’s popularity grew in the North West, it was not enough to pry some constituencies like Ngami away from the BDP. The BCP slowly and steadily built up capacities in this BDP stronghold and then waited for those gains to pay off. It was in 2009 when a combined force of the BAM and the BCP ousted Nkate by getting 6, 836 votes to BDP’s 6, 565. BAM-BCP alliance fielded Taolo Habano in what was one of the biggest upsets in the election. The BCP later lost Ngami to BDP’s Thato Kwerepe in 2014 only to regain it once again from the BDP through incumbent MP, Caterpillar Hikuama.
Another North West shift for the BCP came in 2019 when the BCP won both Maun constituencies, under Saleshando in Maun West and secretary-general (SG), Goretetse Kekgonegile, to consolidate their hold on all of Ngami. Both leaders are increasingly confident of a return to the National Assembly. After 2019 despite leaving the UDC, the BCP was able to capitalise on that on every level especially since other opposition parties are non-existent in the area. The BDP is the only challenge for the BCP especially in Ngami where the former could field its SG, Kavis Kario, if he manages to win the primaries. Other than Chobe, which has been held by incumbent MP Machana Shamukuni for two consecutive terms, the lime picture is unlikely to change anytime soon in the North West.
The yearn for Chobe
The BCP party yearns for Chobe and the BCP president, Dumelang Saleshando, has even regarded it as their ‘lost sheep’. Incumbent MP Machana Shamukuni took it from BCP’s late Gibson Nshimwe in 2014. Shamukuni later retained Chobe in the 2019 General Election by beating Oscar Mapulanga of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC). Following the BCP’s exit from the UDC coalition, the BCP will once again send Mapulanga as their parliamentary candidate in October. According to Saleshando, the BCP will rejoice if the party manages to snatch the Chobe constituency from the ruling BDP. When Mapulanga was launched recently in Kasane, the BCP emphasised the need for the party to win back the constituency they once held between 2009 and 2014 under the late Nshimwe. Mapulanga lost in 2019 but still managed to return and try his luck again.
Other confirmed candidatesKekgonegile - Maun EastThe vocal BCP secretary-general, Kekgonegile, is defending Maun East, a constituency he won in 2019 under the UDC. Kekgonegile is one of the trusted leaders of the BCP and was suspended alongside Saleshando from the UDC back in 2022. Kekgonegile previously lost Maun East to Kostantinos Markus of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) in 2014 but managed to overcome his rival in 2019.
Phillimon Aaron – NgamiAfter the Delimitation Commission added another Maun constituency, the current MP for this constituency, Hikuama will contest in Maun West making way for new candidates. After a contest in the primaries, Phillimon Aaron ended up securing the candidacy for the constituency. Aaron was launched earlier this year in Gumare and has a track record in the tourism sector and is regarded as the true son of the soil.
Hikuama - Maun WestThere was a dilemma before Hikuama took the decision to switch to Maun West, but the BCP felt that the MP was just what they needed to take over all the seven North West constituencies. Hikuama has to retain Maun West, which was won by Saleshando.
Saleshando - Maun NorthSaleshando needs no introduction but he will always be remembered as that youthful politician who wrestled the Gaborone Central constituency from the BDP’s Margaret Nasha in what was a David vs Goliath encounter. Son to former BCP president, Gilson Saleshando, ‘Lord Dums’ as he is often called, has been the BCP president since 2010, taking the baton from his father. Saleshando junior suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the UDC’s Phenyo Butale in 2014. After his party joined the UDC in 2017, he switched to Maun West in 2019 and returned to Parliament. He later fell out with UDC leader, Duma Boko, after voicing out his displeasure at the ‘undemocratic operations’ within the coalition. After serving as the UDC vice president, Saleshando quit the coalition and consequently lost his Leader of Opposition (LoO) title to his former comrade, Dithapelo Keorapetse. Following the creation of another Maun constituency, Saleshando will now contest in Maun North as he also challenges for the presidency.
Gabatsholwe Disho - Okavango EastIn this new constituency, the BCP will field the owner of the safari company, Bush Lark Safaris, Gabatsholwe Disho. The latter was declared the BCP candidate for the Okavango East constituency after beating Kabelo Mahupe in the primaries. Disho has been involved in the tourism industry for many years and has followed his passion for wildlife, conservation and photography. The man from the remote village of Ngarange on the banks of the Okavango Pan Handle is new to politics. The BCP, nevertheless, believes he is the right candidate to become the first-ever legislator for the new constituency.
Kenny Kapinga - Okavango WestThe former Deputy Commissioner of the Botswana Police Service (BPS) and current Okavango legislator, Kenny Kapinga, will contest in the west after his constituency was divided into two. In the 2019 General Election, Kapinga defeated then incumbent Arone. Initially, Kapinga was amongst the five BCP MPs who were expelled by the party for defiance but after consultation with his constituents, he apologised and was welcomed back into the BCP fold.
The BCP holds its grip in the North West, the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) dominate the once-impregnable central, the BNF hopes to regain their dominance in the South while the BDP aims to take back what has been theirs countrywide. The 2024 General Election will be nothing short of fireworks.
