In a fiery speech that left his supporters both amused and energized, Goretetse Kekgonegile, the incumbent Member of Parliament for Maun East, made it clear that the battle for the constituency seat in the 2024 elections would be a fierce two-horse race.
According to Kekgonegile, the real contest is between his party, the Botswana Congress Party (BCP), and the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), dismissing the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) as a non-contender.
Speaking at his campaign launch in Maun on Sunday (September 8th), Kekgonegile spared no words in downplaying the UDC and its candidate, Baraedi Royal Lekabe.
In a sarcastic jab, he likened Royal to “baking powder,” claiming that voting for UDC would be a waste of ballots.
“The UDC candidate’s name is Royal, very, very weak contender. I am even tempted to call him Royal baking powder. To vote for either UDC or Royal will be a waste of ballots,” he said, drawing laughter from the crowd.
Kekgonegile acknowledged the strength of the BDP, likening it to a lion that could easily overpower weaker opponents.
He warned that a weak contender like UDC would stand no chance against the ruling party’s dominance.
“BDP is like a lion; one does not hunt a lion on donkey back because the lion will only see two meals, so when BDP looks at UDC and Royal, it sees a feast of two chunks of meat,” he quipped.
Kekgonegile faces two challengers in the upcoming elections: Baraedi Royal Lekabe of UDC and Oateng Setlhodi of BDP.
However, his most scathing remarks were reserved for the BDP and its candidate.
He accused the BDP of losing its grip on Maun East due to internal favoritism, suggesting that the party’s current leadership is out of touch with the people.
“You BDP members, you had wanted Mbulawa (Reaboka) or Kosta (Markus) to be your Maun East candidate, but there are people within the BDP that are running the party by favoring friends. You have to reclaim control of your party,” he urged, directing his comments to BDP supporters who were on the sidelines of the rally.
Kekgonegile went further, questioning the competence of Setlhodi’s campaign team, which includes several BDP councillors in the North West District Council.
He argued that as long as Setlhodi and his team were in charge, the BDP would struggle to find suitable candidates in future elections.
In what seemed to be an attempt at character assassination, Kekgonegile mocked Setlhodi’s suitability for Parliament, recalling how he allegedly looked down on people during his time as Chief Regent of Chanoga village.
“Just imagine Oateng in Parliament! The same Oateng who used to look down on you when he was still in Chanoga. That one does not deserve your favor. If you can give him that taste of power, then you are in big trouble!” he warned.
Kekgonegile also drew a humorous comparison between Setlhodi and former minister Bagalatia Arone, mocking the way Setlhodi walks.
“Do you really know him? Have you noticed how he walks? He reminds me of Arone when he was still having privileges of the black car. Whenever he walked into that car, he would lift his arms as though he had boils in his armpits. So when you know Arone, then you know Setlhodi,” he said, eliciting laughter from the crowd.
Kekgonegile concluded his speech by urging the electorate not to vote for either the UDC or BDP, arguing that both parties have failed to deliver on their promises.
He positioned the BCP as the only party capable of bringing positive change and improving the livelihoods of the people in the North West District.
With his bold rhetoric and sharp critiques, Kekgonegile set the stage for what promises to be a heated contest in Maun East, as he seeks to retain his seat and lead the BCP to victory in the 2024 elections.
