New faces to dominate at FCC after 2014 election

Chakalisa Dube | Friday October 18, 2013 17:16

When the maiden council meeting takes place after the 2014 general elections at the Civic Centre a significant number of councillors currently serving their terms will not be present due to a number of factors.No more will we witness the acrimonious exchanges that characterised the previous council sittings when the likes of Tabengwa Tabengwa and his nemesis Ignatius Moswaane used to go for each other's throat.

There is a memorable fight between the two, which was even televised on Btv when they hurled unprintables at each other over a motion they did not agree on.Even the burly, but usually reticent Professor Lazarus Tlou walked out from the chambers on a number of occasions when he thought he would not have his way with his colleagues.  For sure, Satellite South councillor Buti Billy, Moswaane of Monarch South and Tlou of Itekeng ward will not be available.

The three councillors have decided to up the ante in their political ambitions by gunning for the hallowed corridors of the national assembly as members of parliament.

Moswaane has already won the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) primaries and will be the ruling party candidate for the upcoming by-election in Francistown West. Should the BDP triumph in the by-election, the maverick Moswaane will go on to represent the ruling party at the next general elections. There is every likelihood of Moswaane being pitted against Tlou, should the latter win the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) primaries scheduled for this weekend.However, if he (Moswaane) is defeated at the impending by-election, he will have to slug it out in another primary election as decided by the BDP central committee.Of course, as reported previously, Tlou will also go to the primaries tomorrow to decide the party representatives for Francistown West by-election.

If he wins the primaries against Dr Habaudi Hubona and a relatively unknown Baatlhodi Monyatsi, he will go on to represent the party at next years general election.Unlike the BDP, even if he loses the by-election Tlou will not have to go for a re-run of the primaries. Billy, a former mayor of Francistown, will lock horns with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Phandu Skelemani at the BDP primaries in November for the Francistown East constituency.

Government Camp councillor Albert Mosojane formerly of the BCP, his Monarch East counterpart Raoboy Mpuang and specially nominated councillor Joyce Ndove will not defend their positions. Ndove and Mpuang retraced their footsteps to the BDP from the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD).

Ndove, Mosojane and Mpuang joined the ruling party after calls for those who wanted to contest the party primaries to book their candidacy at 2014 the general elections were closed. This ruled out the possibility of the three contesting the elections next year.

Mpuang and Mosojane confirmed that following their recent defection to the BDP, they would not contest the upcoming general elections. BDP Tatitown ward councillor, Stanley Masalila, Meshack Matseka of Somerset East and City Mayor James Kgalajwe have not applied to contest the primaries, ruling out a possibility of the three defending their seats next year. BDP Masego Pule, who is also a specially nominated councillor, is unlikely to be in the council chambers next year unless she is nominated for the second time. 

Furthermore Pule did not express interest in contesting the upcoming primaries. The same also applies to another nominated councillor, Ford Moiteela, a Francistown East BDP regional leader, and Ndove. Again, for Moiteela the BDP governing regulations prevent regional, ward and cell leaders from contesting council or parliamentary elections. As a result he is barred from expressing interest to stand for elections at council or parliamentary level.  

BCP's Robert Mosweu of Boikhutso ward has not submitted his name to the party to contest the primaries billed for 16 November. This automatically rules him out of contention for the much anticipated 2014 general elections. And he has no qualms about it.'Yes I will not be contesting the general elections next year. I will state the reasons for my decision to both my constituents and general members of the public in due course,' Mosweu said yesterday in an interview.Still from the BCP, Tabengwa of Ikageleng yesterday confirmed that he would not contest the general elections after more than a decade in the council chambers.

BCP's Kays Phitshana who represents Botsalano ward has also confirmed that he will not take part in the general elections next year. 

The number of those who do not want to contest the elections may rise if BMD Steven Michael of Ipopeng ward re-joins the ruling BDP as speculated by the media in recent weeks.Should Michael join the BDP, it means that he will not be able to defend his position. The party has already closed applications for those who want to contest the primaries.

BDP's Ace Ntheetsang, Johnson Moremi and Godfrey Kaelo, BMD's duo of Shadrack Nyeku and Biki Mbulawa as well as BCP's Ephraim Maiketso and Ben Mpotokwane will defend their positions in 2014. Nyeku, a former mayor who is councillor for Phillip Matante East, confirmed in an interview yesterday that he would stand.

Nyeku will be unopposed at the party primaries. Mbulawa who is councillor for Phillip Matante West has also confirmed that he will defend his seat. He will also be unopposed at the party primaries.Ntheetsang, Kaelo and Moremi are among the BDP candidates who will contest the party primaries as they seek to win candidacy to the general elections. Kaelo is a councillor for Monarch West, Ntheetsang represents Kanana ward while Moremi who is probably in the twilight of his political career is a councillor for Moselewapula ward.

It is said that both Mpotokwane and Maiketso are unopposed at Donga and Francistown Central respectively.  Mpotokwane, however, was not available for comment. His phone was not available at the time of going to press. Maiketso confirmed telephonically that he would stand in the upcoming general elections.

Michael was not available for comment at the time of going to press when Mmegi sought to establish his position.His mobile phone rang unanswered.There is a possibility that it will be all new faces inside the formerly tumultuous council chambers should those who have expressed their desire to defend their seats are defeated at the general elections.