UP FOR GRABS
Three political parties Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), Botswana Congress Party (BCP) and Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) – are aiming for victory in the MapokaNlapkhwane by-election as they conclude their respective mobilisation efforts for votes.
With the exception of the UDC whose candidate, Nabulani Lenyatso had no challenger, BDP’s Thomas Chabalala and BCP’s Tlhomamisang Ndaba earned their candidature by winning their parties’ respective primary elections.
The by-election is scheduled for Saturday 29th April. Coming just over a year before the general elections next year, this by-election is an opportunity for those that had registered but failed to vote, to choose their councillor this time around. Commentators describe byelections as a midterm evaluation. They suggest that in a byelection, voters sometimes elect a different party at the expense of their party and candidate as a protest for disaffection with the party, candidate or both only to vote ‘properly’ in the general election.
Perhaps this at least partly, explains why the BDP almost always reclaims its wards in the next general election after losing them in the by-elections. Yet a by-election is no doubt a significant campaign activity and a propaganda tool especially for the winning party whose popularity may get a boost.
The downside is that they are a demoraliser for the losing parties especially the perennial losers. They may motivate a blame game resulting in recriminations and divisions in the losing parties.
Since the 2019 general elections, there have been several ward by-elections all occasioned by the death of the incumbents, who, incidentally, were all members of the ruling party. There is fear within the BDP that Mapoka-Nlapkhwane ward may, like the rest, fall into the hands of the UDC. The BCP has yet to win a ward since 2019 general elections. To enhance its credibility and reclaim its momentum, the party needs to win the MapokaNlapkhwane by-election. On behalf of the BDP and the UDC respectively, Jenamiso Jerry and Lenyatso are happy about the general atmosphere on the campaign field. Both say that the competitors have so far demonstrated mutual tolerance. “There is no confrontation or badmouthing as we campaign,” said Jerry, the BDP secretary for the Tati West constituency.
Agreeing with the BDP official, the UDC candidate for the ward, Lenyatso said, “Thus far, all the stakeholders are conducting a clean and peaceful campaign. There is no tension between the concerned parties,” said Lenyatso, who hopes that the civil behaviour among the three parties will continue to the end. His fear is that things may change as soon as public rallies commence. While the BDP had yet to finalise its programme especially pertaining to the candidate launch by press-time, the UDC candidate told The Midweek Sun that he will be launched by UDC president, Duma Boko at Mapoka next week Saturday. Meanwhile, the BCP ward byelection mouthpiece, Joseph Balisi told this publication at press-time that the BCP launch will be at Nlapkhwane village on Saturday 22nd April. The party is yet to confirm the guest speaker.