Botswana : Umbrella for Democratic Change on the Letlhakeng West Bye Election

The 7th of April 2013 marked the end of the electioneering process for bye election that was meant to replace the Member of Parliament for Letlhakeng West.

The Umbrella for Democratic Change takes this opportunity to thank the people of all villanges and dwelling places of Letlhakeng West including those in meraka and masimo for their assuring turn out and their solid message on intent for 2014. We thank them for their resilience and strength given the might showcased by our opponents. We thank them for their faith in the Botswana National Front, the Botswana Movement for Democracy and the Botswana People’s Party. We thank the Campaign leaders and Coordinators, campaign Teams and activists who had no picnic basket, no silver, nor gold but only the word of hope to share with the electorate. We thank the Candidate, Mr. Filbert Nagafela his dear wife Mrs Nagafela and their children for the sacrifice they made with humility and belief.

We congratulate Hon. Ngaka Ngaka and the Botswana Democratic Party for their victory. Of course we do this appreciating the fact that the ruling party continues to dominate the space of private sector contributions, state media, and distribution of Omang cards and other by virtue of their incumbecy. This congratulatory note will not erase the day the police in Takatokwane refused to register a complaint about an officer of goverbnment who drove a vehicle he was not gazzetted to drive in the company of a man who was distributing Omang cards selectively in private homes with a BDP T-shirt on. This congratulatory note will not erase the memory of a young man who cried uncosolably because he had been abducted by a team of political activists who harrased and intimidated him because he sounded the alrm on the distribution of cards. This congratulatory note will not erase the memory of scores of voters who did not apear on the original voters roll but appeared on the polling day voters’ roll. This congratulatory note will not erase the indifference of more that thirty (30) out of the thrity-six (36) Presiding Officers of the Polling stations who refused for the UDC/BNF polling agents to out a seal on the ballot boxes after polling as they were transferred to Takatokwane for counting – contrary to Section 67 of the Electoral Law. Even with this congratulatory note we still recall the harrassment, intimidation and arrogance at our rallies. Most of these events have been recorded for safe keeping and selective sharing. We will not respond with hate, but with love. We will not be bad with our loss, but will take the moment with grace.

After this bye election, the volumes of vehicles, grandeur, gifts, short term promises and a blatant buying of votes will be over. Lives of people in the area will be just as usual, promises will be broken as usual and their faith will be stretched just as usual. Even then we shall neither sleep nor shall we slumber. We will continue to preach our message of hope until it reaches home and that time is not far, in fact, it is too near. Latsly we thank Batswana for standing with us and believing in what we are doing.