A day after burying former Government Chief Whip in Parliament, Liakat Kablay who was MP for Letlhakeng-Lephepe constituency, the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) was forced to name a candidate who had to immediately register their name to beat the IEC deadline by close of business on Friday.
Democrats had no time to mourn. Born and raised in Molepolole, Borakalalo ward -Liakat became a household name in his formative years in Kweneng West where his family holds substantial business interest throughout Letlhakeng- Lephepe constituency. After spending many years running the family businesses, he would later follow his younger brother Shabir Kablay – outgoing councilor for Borakalalo ward, into politics in the ruling BDP. Kablay was laid to rest in Ramotswa at a Muslim Cemetry on Thursday after succumbing to a long illness the day before.
On Friday, with the clock ticking towards closure of nominations at IEC, democrats in Letlhakeng threw a spanner in the works when the BDP Central Committee, led by President Mokgweetsi Masisi
rejected a recommendation by the branch and regional committees to nominate one States Banyatsi to represent the party in the general election on October 30th. The Central Committee in the end prevailed, appointing Otsenye Tsietso who came second after Liakat followed Kelebogile Malele at no. 3 during Bulela Ditswe in July.
2024 BDP Primary Elections Results (Letlhakeng Constituency)
Liakat Kablay 1195; Otsenye Walter Tsietso 958; Malebogo Malele 866; States Banyatsi 593; Tshepiso Lesope 408; Wilfred Mokento 374
Favouritism
Sources noted that Banyatsi was highly favoured by the party leadership in the region because he was immediately appointed Kablay’s campaign manager after he lost the primary elections. “We had requested for the regional committee to advise the central committee that the vetting process of Kablay’s replacement should be done between Tsietso or Malele as they both got high number of votes after Kablay, if selection process of the candidate is anything to go by,” said one member of BDP Letlhakeng branch committee on Friday.
The member noted that the decision to select Tsietso as a candidate is reasonable because his performance in the primary elections gives him an upper hand to win the constituency as compared to Banyatsi who scored lower votes. Contacted for a comment, BDP Chairman of Communication and International Relations Subcommittee, Kagelelo Kentse briefly said the party will soon make an official announcement over MP candidate for Letlhakeng.
Opponents
Allegations were that potential candidates were overlooked by the party because they were suspected to be not supporting Liakat after their loss in Bulela Ditswe, but instead supporting Botswana Congress Party (BCP) candidate -Meshack Tshenyego.
Meanwhile, Tshenyego- a former BDP councillor for Mmantshwabisi ward said BDP should not involve him in its internal wranglings that started during Bulela Ditswe. He noted that he has a very good working relationship with a number of BDP members. To suggest that the relationship started just after BDP primaries is wrong, he said, adding that he is focused on BCP campaigns.
“I have been receiving information that some BDP members who lost Bulela Ditswe could be suspended because they are working underground to campaign for me. I had been suspended from BDP after being accused of threating to kill MP Kablay. However, such a move made some democrats angry and they decided to follow me to BCP.
For now, I don’t know what’s going on with BDP internal power struggle in Letlhakeng constituency,” he said.
Oozing with confidence, Tshenyego is adamant that he will cause an upset for his former party by winning the constituency which had been BDP stronghold under Kablay who won it for two terms in 2014 and 2019. He said he was able to be nominated as candidate, adding that he had done his assignment in terms of BCP campaigns. “The ground is fertile, and I had started my campaign earlier while I was still at BDP. No party has done better that BCP in terms of campaign. People have responded positively to our manifesto,” he added.
Other opponents are retired Brigadier Domcus Mokgwathi of the Umbrellafor Democratic Change (UDC), Gaone Gaogopolwe of Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) and one independent candidate.