Gaborone City Council (GCC) will this week elect new leadership in a special full council meeting designed to fill the vacuum following the resignation of ruling party’s Veronica Lesole as mayor on Monday.
Former deputy mayor, Haskins Nkayigwa, formerly of the BDP, now a member of the Botswana Movement for Democracy, is expected to ascend to the position of mayor.
The recent defection of Nkayigwa and three other councillors – Oabile Mafunga, Nunu Lekau and Keitumile Gabonewe from the ruling Botswana Democratic Party(BDP) to the Botswana Movement For Democracy tilted the scale of power in favour of the collective opposition which hosts a total of 20 civic leaders to the BDP’s 15.
Nkayigwa, who resigned as deputy mayor citing a lack of confidence in Lesole, is expected to be the opposition’s candidate for the position of mayor.The BCP councilor for government ward Florence Shagwa is expected to take over as deputy mayor.
“The opposition caucus has unanimously nominated Nkayigwa to stand for the position of mayor while Shagwa would deputise him,” revealed BCP publicity secretary Taolo Lucas.
According to Lucas, the councilors have also resolved that the BMD should chair the council committees while the BCP would deputise the majority of the committees.This includes the Education committee, health and Finance and Development among others.
The Botswana National Front (BNF) which has only one council seat is expected to deputise the council’s educational committee.
The victory is expected to give impetus to the fragile opposition cooperation preached by their four main parties in their quest to oust the BDP administration from power since independence over four decades ago.
