BPF banks on Khama magic
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Friday July 7, 2023 14:25
The Khama ‘magic’ factor will play a big role in tomorrow’s by-election in the Serowe West constituency. This became evident at the launch of BPF candidate, Onalepelo Kedikilwe, over the weekend when the former legislator for the constituency, Tshekedi Khama, was roped in virtually as the main speaker to impress upon voters that the Khamas are still with the party.
It was important for Khama to publicly declare his support for Kedikilwe to remove any suspicion that the Khamas are not on board. Kedikilwe, a former employee of the Serowe constituency office, needed a voice of assurance from Khama that the influential family is fully behind his candidacy.
This also goes for the residents of the Serowe West constituency whose support for Kedikilwe is dependent on the Khama family influence. The BPF strategy is to also give the opposition bloc, the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) and the Alliance for Progressives (AP), a platform that may be the trump card Kedikilwe needs to draw support from members of those parties.
It also sent a message to the voters that the BPF is willing and ready to work with a united opposition. Currently, the BPF National Executive Committee’s (NEC) internal fights have reached the courts and their outcomes will be determined in September.
This was even highlighted by Tshekedi over the weekend when addressing the residents. “Some of our members here are being used by the BDP [Botswana Democratic Party] and I want the members to be careful. I urge our members and the public to vote for the BPF. Members must stand up for their party and fight for it. It is important to ensure that the ruling party, the BDP, does not win this constituency. Ba nkobetse gore ba te [sic] go tsaya kgaolo e (they chased me away so that they can grab this constituency,” Khama said.
He also encouraged Serowe West residents to vote for the BPF in high numbers. Conversely, the BPF election director, Tebogo Venson said as BPF they are very optimistic about retaining the seat.
“Of course, there are a few challenges but we are sure to win. Those obstacles cannot hinder us from winning the area. The BDP has internal fights that are worse than ours in this area. Again, residents are unhappy that their area MP has been made to run away to a neighbouring country. This constituency has Kgosing wards and residents of this area cannot go against their chief. Maybe the BDP should come up with a new strategy,” Venson told Mmegi on Wednesday. The election director also said house-to-house campaigns and rally attendances in different villages or wards that make the constituency, have indeed shown that people are behind the BPF.
He said residents of the area are behind their party even in the two wards where councillors are BDP card-carrying members.
Venson further highlighted that as the BPF they are not only relying on the Khama family’s blessings but are also working hard to convince residents to cast a vote for the party.
He avowed that the Khama family virtual rally addresses are helping a lot since residents want the Khamas to speak to them.
He continued: “Some voters wanted to hear the position of their Kgosi before they commit or declare their support. For example, Mmashoro and Dimajwe residents wanted the former president, Ian Khama, to address them and we ensured that he did so.”
Venson also divulged that the numbers that the UDC have are very important during by-elections because not all people who voted in the 2019 General Election will turn up.
In addition, he said out of six wards they managed to win only two which include Mmashoro and Malatswai.
Venson said apart from the two wards they did not do well in, his party managed to convince voters to vote for the BPF.
He said even though the BDP is strong in Malatswai, they managed to penetrate the ward since it is dicey on its own as people there used to vote for the Botswana National Front (BNF).
Venson said residents of Malatswai have their grievances against the government.
Besides campaigns, Venson said the BPF candidate has been working well with residents of that area and that is why he was voted for in high numbers in the party primary elections.
He said Kedikilwe is well-known because he has been working closely with the area MP.
Despite the BPF seemingly united for the Serowe West constituency, all is not well within the party due to infighting amongst NEC members, especially the animosity between party president Biggie Butale and his vice Mephato Reatile. The fight for party control has divided BPF into two factions.
Again, there is a silent fight in the same constituency as Mmegi has learnt that some of those who contested during the party primary elections were not happy with the way elections were handled.
On the contrary, it is not a given that the BPF will retain the Serowe West constituency, as the BDP has put everything into reclaiming the area.
The BDP sees this by-election as an opportunity to break into the lost Central District.
The Serowe West constituency became vacant when the secretary-general of BPF Tshekedi (Khama) failed to attend Parliament sitting three consecutive times and was disqualified from the National Assembly as a consequence.
Mmegi has it in good authority that the BDP Serowe West constituency wants to get the support of some influential royal family members as one way to break the Khama hold over the electorate. There are reports that already that there are divisions within the family with some strongly pushing for BDP candidate Moemedi Dijeng while others are still loyal to the Khama household. Some royal family members like Foster Seretse have returned to the BDP. During party primaries, Kedikilwe won by 443 votes followed by Dilebo Mmaletlhare with 229, and Mokgobelelo Mokgobelelo with 101 votes, just to mention but a few.
When the Khama family was still with the BDP, Serowe constituencies used to be their stronghold.
For instance, in 2009 BDP had 7,376 votes, BNF 878, and Botswana Congress Party (BCP) 800.
In 2014, BDP got 5,401 votes, UDC 948, BCP 431 and in 2019, BDP was voted by 2,405, BPF 4,394, UDC 749, and AP 387.