AP threatens not to vote for UDC in Maun East
Some disgruntled members of Alliance For Progressives (AP) have taken a stance not to vote for its 2024 elections unity partner, Umbrella For Democratic Change (UDC) in the October, 30, 2024 general election.
In particular Maun East branch has expressed displeasure after their nominated candidate, Itumeleng Takhwiri failed to register his name as UDC council candidate after him and another candidate, Akofang Letsamao of Botswana National Front (BNF) showed up at the nomination centre to register as candidates for one ward, and under the coalition.
“Our BNF comrade arrived with a nomination letter, the same one as mine, from the UDC, but it was a shock because Disana ward under UDC agreement should be contested for by AP and I was the one nominated by AP to contest,” explained Takhwiri at a media briefing in Maun on Tuesday this week.
Takhwiri explained that it was clear that BNF was up to no good just a few weeks leading to candidates launch by UDC party President, Duma Boko on September 29th, as letters confirming AP council candidacy were not forth coming until he (Takhwiri) had to travel to Gaborone to collect them.
“It appears the officers gave me the letters mistakenly because on my way back to Maun, I received a call from UDC office to let me know that there were mistakes in the letters that needed to be corrected. I told them I was already in the bus to Maun. After that I received calls from BNF candidates in Maun threatening me and ordering me to come to the police station, but I refused since I had not committed any crime,” said Takhwiri.
He further explained that he was met by AP’s Maun West branch manager, Mmoloki Mabenyane at the bus rank the morning he arrived in Maun for safety and protection of the letters as it was now clear that BNF was on a war path.
That same morning of arrival was nomination day and the candidates showed up for nomination before IEC, which turned them down.
However fortunate for Takhwiri’s rival, Letsamao, UDC President sent a signed letter confirming him as the right candidate and not Takhwiri.
“Because the ward was awarded to AP we sought help from AP leadership and the Party Secretary General, Phenyo Butale wrote a supporting letter on my behalf, but IEC returning officer rejected the letter and admitted one from UDC president. That is how we lost the candidacy to BNF,” added Takhwiri.
Although he denied tendering his resignation from both AP and UDC, Takhwiri confirmed that he will not be voting for UDC, “I am not going to vote for BNF in Maun East constituency, not the MP candidate nor the council candidate, not after what they did to me,” he vowed.
Another disgruntle AP member, party regional chairperson, Lorraine Mapolanka complained of how their leaders were being controlled by UDC.
“Our AP leaders are soft, they allow BNF to call the shots, making decisions without involving AP.”
Wearing T shirts with bold purple print, “Bring back our AP,” the disgruntled group said that they wanted their leaders to re-think their decision to join UDC.
“We do not want to be seen to be repeating what happened to Dikoloti in Mmathethe where candidates closer to the party President are given favours despite the choice of the majority. That is the kind of attitude we dislike about the ruling party but if we cannot set ourselves apart and be good examples of democracy then we will have very little to tell and convince electorates!” said Maun West Branch chairman, Mmoloki Mabenyane.
Mabenyane added that out of 26 wards in all Maun’s three constituencies, AP took six wards which was awarded to it through the UDC agreement, but in the end, it manage to register nominations in three while three were in conflict including Disana, Nxaraga-Toteng and Moeti.
In Moeti and Nxaraga-Toteng wards UDC did not register any candidate as the four that turned up for registration were disqualified.
“In Nxaraga-Toteng two candidates showed up for nomination, one for AP and another from BNF, but that ward was awarded to AP. Due to the conflict IEC rejected them both. The same thing happened in Moeti, the difference there is that two AP members turned up for nomination because UDC President had mistakenly written a confirmation letter for two candidates for the same ward yet we as AP had nominated one candidate,” added Mabenyane who expressed disappointment at UDC leadership.
