Lucas’ 25-year never-say-die attitude
Spira Tlhankane | Tuesday October 8, 2024 12:17
Lucas is the only candidate alongside Botswana Democratic Party (BDP)’s chairperson, Slumber Tsogwane, to have contested the General Election every election year since 1999. While Lucas’ door-knocking efforts against BDP’s James Maruatona in 1999 earned him just 1244 votes, the race marked the start of a passion that would eventually launch him into the record books for having contested, and lost, the general elections for a period spanning 20 years. Lucas made a second act in 2004 only to lose but this time to entrant Shaw Kgathi of the BDP. With Lucas there was no ‘you lose, you leave’ rule as he confirmed a rematch with Kgathi again in 2009 but ended up losing by a margin of 840 votes.
Lucas felt he was close and took another try at Kgathi in the 2014 General Election only to lose by a margin of 120 votes. The man was determined to become an MP. He spent years building up his numbers in what was an impressive trajectory. Every five years, Lucas reemerged slowly building a personal brand, perhaps, sending a message that a plausible path to the National Assembly is looming. Lucas felt he was closing in so when Kgathi lost his party primaries to Francisco Kgoboko in 2019. He then decided to take on a third BDP candidate since he began his quest in 1999. Two decades later, Lucas finally removed the perennial loser label when he defeated Kgoboko with an 853 vote margin in a historic feat. Everything changed and, Lucas finally collected his prize.
Serious and passionate, Lucas finally checked off all the right boxes for Bobirwa constituents. Holding two social work master’s degrees and a successful career as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Botswana (UB), he was finally good enough. He now approaches the next election with so much at stake because last time out in 2019 the BCP was under the opposition coalition, the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC). One other factor which also worked for Lucas in 2019 was former president Ian Khama’s magic as he swayed votes to the opposition. Lucas who was launched in Bobonong over the holidays knows that he won’t get a free pass. Kgoboko is making a return for another battle against Lucas and the latter knows that he will have to work hard for a successive win.
Lucas’ Bobirwa achievements Speaking of working hard, Lucas is banking on some of the successes in the constituency over the past five years when he was MP. Lucas has even taken credit for the restocking and compensation of Bobirwa farmers who were affected by the cross-border livestock rustling. In Parliament earlier this year, Lucas claimed to have put President Mokgweetsi Masisi and his government under pressure to act. He pointed out that for 58 years, people in their region were under attack until he pressurised the BDP-led regime.
Following comprehensive assessment and verification of all applications, 958 farmers who lost their livestock through rustling benefited from the livestock restocking relief programme. The relief programme comprised 2, 827 cattle, 97 bulls, 367 sheep, 4, 890 goats and 296 donkeys for all eligible beneficiaries in Bobirwa. The total cost for the relief programme was over P21 million for livestock, P12 million for operational costs and 10% contingency of over P3 million.
Eventually government commenced the re-stocking exercise to compensate farmers who were affected by the cross-border livestock rustling in the Bobirwa area. In terms of the attacks in Bobirwa, the government last year delivered four customised APVs and livestock relief in response to the cross-border livestock rustling that had ravaged the Bobirwa region for over four decades and left farmers impoverished. The vehicles were each worth about P3 million and were meant to enable police patrol borders between Botswana and Zimbabwe as well as South Africa where cross-border stock theft was rampant. The vehicles were reportedly capacitated with cameras for photo and video taking.
Lucas’ unfinished businessDespite these wins, Lucas left the 12th Parliament with some projects still behind in his constituency. A month before parliament was dissolved Lucas had asked the minister of Transport and Public Works Eric Molale to give an update on the progress of Tsetsebjwe-Moletemane road project, Mathathane-Mothabaneng-Pont Drift Road and Bobonong-Lepokole road. The Minister of Transport and Public Works, Eric Molale revealed then that the government was running a tender for dry grading, culvert maintenance, drift installation and spot Improvement of the Motlhabaneng turn-off to Pont Drift Road via Lentswelemoriti Road at 59.1km. On the Tsetsebjwe-Moletemane road project, Molale, indicated that they had allowed the contractor to have completed the project by August 28. The minister also told Lucas that 17.5km of the 19km Moletemane access road had been block paved leaving a balance of 1.5km still to be paved. Concerning the progress report for Bobonong-Lepokole Road, Molale said the ministry was currently running a tender for dry grading; spot improvement, drift installation and culvert repair along the Lepokole turn off-Robelela Road which is 68km. With all these uncompleted projects in Bobirwa, Lucas feels that he is the right man to ensure their completion in the 13th parliament.
Bobirwa, BCP’s Mount SinaiLucas himself has previously revealed that alongside the seven constituencies in the North West, they can confidently declare Bobirwa as one of the BCP’s strongholds. Speaking in biblical terms Lucas said that when Jesus Christ travelled and blessed North West which he regarded as BCP’s ‘Bethlehem’, the Messiah also passed by Bobirwa and blessed the area with a ‘lime’ touch. BCP president Dumelang Saleshando recently reiterated that Bobirwa is blessed no wonder they chose it to dispatch their 2024 manifesto. Saleshando who was also launching his deputy Lucas said Bobirwa is blessed because it is the birthplace of BCP’s ‘Moses’ the late Michael Dingake who died earlier this year. Dingake served as the first BCP president and led 10 legislators who quit the Botswana National Front (BNF) to form the BCP in 1998. He also compared Bobirwa to the Biblical Mount Sinai where Moses was given the Ten Commandments. Saleshando said the manifesto dispatched in the constituency contained the ten-point agenda. Saleshando also described Lucas as a warrior who will help lead a battle against opponents in the upcoming polls on October 30.
Lucas who is also known to engage, entertain and enliven the party faithful previously held positions of secretary-general, organizing secretary, and publicity secretary in the BCP before being elected as VP in 2022. If Lucas and BCP win the general election later this month, the former area MP will stand a chance to be Vice President and possibly President in the future.