He garnered 6,152 votes while Botswana Democratic Party’s (BDP) Eric Molale trailed him with 4,372. Botswana Congress Party Candidate (BCP) came a distant third with 385 votes. The by-election followed an abrupt and shocking resignation of the former area MP James Mathokgwane over ill-health and a plum position at the Selebi-Phikwe Economic Diversification Unit (SPEDU).
The new MP will be sworn in at the next session of Parliament just before the President’s State of the Nation Address. At the same session, Parliament will be expected to elect a Specially Elected MP to fill a vacancy created by Molale when he resigned to try his luck in the by-election. It is highly probable that he will be nominated by the President and elected by the majority BDP MPs and assume his previous position. He’s a loyal servant of president Khama and may be further rewarded for that. It may be that his loss, celebrated by many in the ruling party, has also affected his master’s succession plans. Some in the ruling party are alleged to have abetted his loss.
