Different speakers at the launch of the coalition’s parliamentary candidate, Ketlhalefile Motshegwa and his team of council candidates, aimed more at luring the seniors to vote for the coalition. In the past, opposition parties have targeted youthful voters and relied on them for votes. On the other hand, the ruling party, the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) has enjoyed the support of the older generation. However, different speakers at Motshegwa’s launch on Saturday all drove a narrative that was directed towards enticing the old voters. The message was also buttressed by the UDC president, Duma Boko, when he officially unveiled the candidates. Boko said the ruling party has created generational poverty for Batswana by paying low salaries, saying this has gone on for a long time, leaving pensioners to retire into poverty.
He stated that the economic situation that many households find themselves in is a result of how the BDP has treated the forefathers over the years. “The situation that you find yourself in is a result of how your parents were mistreated by the BDP over the years. This government has never cared about them. They were paid low wages and once you reach 60 years, you are deemed old and inactive and told to go home,” Boko said. “Then they will meet you on the other side and give you a shovel and pick and tell you to go to Ipelegeng. They give you a residential plot but because you earn low wages you can’t develop it, they come back to you and say we are taking this plot because you have failed to develop it. This is the cruelty of the ruling party and how it has mistreated Batswana,” he added. Boko said his organisation promises to better the lives of Batswana, especially, the elderly by improving the pension allowance from the current P830 to P1,800 per month.
