Opposition Romps To Victory

Crowd at the opposition Rally on the eve of the by-elections
Crowd at the opposition Rally on the eve of the by-elections

The weekend by-elections in Palapye and Tsabong North that delivered a comprehensive opposition victory and relegated the ruling party, Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), to the margins, had all the hallmarks of the 2014 national elections.

The atmosphere on the eve of the election seemed to favour the opposition.

On the eve of the weekend by-elections that saw the UDC and the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) snatch both council wards, Boikaego-Madiba and Tsabong North respectively, the National Junior Certificate (JC) results were announced.  They once again painted a grim picture of the state of education which only managed a 32% pass from the close to 42,000 JC students that sat for the exams.  The anger that fed from this fresh fodder was enough to cause damage on the BDP’s chances of winning.

Editor's Comment
Botswana at a critical juncture

While the political shift brings hope for change, it also places immense pressure on the new administration to deliver on its election promises in the face of serious economic challenges.On another level, newly appointed Finance Minister Ndaba Gaolathe’s grim assessment of the country’s finances adds urgency to the moment. The budget deficit, expected to be P8.7 billion, is now anticipated to be even higher due to underperforming diamond...

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