In the wake of a tense and scrutinized election season, the Botswana National Front (BNF) has announced the postponement of its primary elections in the Lobatse constituency.
The decision followed a rigorous two-day interrogation of the voters roll by the team of Kamal Jacobs, an aspirant Member of Parliament for Lobatse.
The primary elections, initially scheduled for today, were put on hold amidst serious allegations of voter trafficking.
Jacobs’ supporters, who form the majority within the local party branch, have accused the BNF leadership of orchestrating the voter trafficking to undermine their candidate.
They claim that close to 3,000 voters were trafficked into the constituency to skew the election results against Jacobs.
Keikanetswe Moesi, a member of the BNF Elections Board, confirmed the postponement but cited a different reason for the delay. “We are not done with verification of our voters roll and once done we will call for elections in that constituency,” Moesi stated, emphasizing the need for thorough validation to ensure the integrity of the electoral process.
The postponement comes against a backdrop of heightened political tension within the Lobatse constituency.
Controversy has marred the pre-election atmosphere, notably with Kamal Jacobs’ opposition to the membership of James Mothokgwane.
Mothokgwane, who previously served as the MP for Goodhope Mabule, resigned midterm to join the Special Economic Zones Development Unit (SPEDU) before making a political comeback in Lobatse.
Jacobs has openly challenged Mothokgwane’s legitimacy, asserting his own longstanding ties and commitment to the constituency.
The postponement of the primaries has added a layer of complexity to an already volatile political environment.
