Kereng challenges Moagi for Ramotswa constituency
Phildah Kereng- the Minister of Environment and Tourism, also a SpeciallyElected Member of Parliament is making a bold and audacious move that could make or end her political career!
She is poised to challenge her fellow Cabinet member, Lefhoko Moagi, the Minister of Minerals and Energy and MP for Ramotswa in the Botswana Democratic Party ( BDP) primary elections.
Under normal circumstances, Moagi could be regarded as a hero after wrestling the Ramotswa constituency from the opposition in the 2019 general election where the Umbrella for Democratic Change ( UDC) was represented by Samuel Rantuana. But then, these are abnormal times!
Sources within the BDP have revealed that Kereng who served as the tourism minister post the 2019 general election enjoys the blessings of some senior leaders in the ruling party. The BDP is expected to hold Bulela Ditswe in the constituencies it controls in 2024 unless the party’s National Congress resolves contrarily. Kereng is said to have already made inroads within the constituency and has won the hearts of many and not only within the party but the entire constituency. She is said to also be enjoying the support of the royal family in Ga- Malete who allegedly have broken ranks with the area MP on grounds that he neglected them when they needed him the most in their land tussle with the government. According to information from the BDP Ramotswa corridors, the Minister is said to be working underground and playing her cards close to the chest. This comes after a lobby associated with her lost the recent Ramotswa Branch congress elections.
Moagi is believed to be banking on the support of the party structures as the party prepares for its series of activities from the Youth Wing Congress, Women’s Wing Congress, National Council, and National congresses in the build- up to the primaries. Ramotswa Branch Congress was held last month where a new committee was ushered into office. The pro- Moagi lobby won. This is against the backdrop that Kereng is enjoying the support of most of the senior party leaders. BDP South East Region is expected to hold its elective congress soon after Tlokweng, Kgatleng East, and Kgatleng West Constituencies hold their congresses. The BDP is currently resuscitating its structures after the party halted all its activities in 2020 following the outbreak of COVID- 19. Efforts to get a comment from Kereng were futile as she was not answering her mobile phone since last week and had not responded to messages sent to her through WhatsApp.
A fierce competition is expected in the coming Bulela Ditswe in most constituencies, especially in the BDP- held constituencies. Some BDP MPs including cabinet members have since complained to the party leadership being President Mokgweetsi Masisi and Vice President and also party chairman Slumber Tsogwane that there are people campaigning in the constituencies under the cover of darkness. They argued that some of the people are campaigning for elections under the guise of doing party work or government assignments. Kereng was one of the four women who were handpicked by President Mokgweetsi Masisi to be part of the six Specially Elected MPs.
She was appointed Minister of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation, and Tourism. In her portfolio, she has been praised for bringing a new impetus to the tourism industry by revising the tourism policy so as to enhance the participation of the Botswana citizens in the tourism industry and diversify the tourism products across the country. She was recently acknowledged as one of Africa’s Tourism Board Key Leaders in Africa.