The Botswana National Front (BNF) primary election in Tlokweng turned ugly during the weekend as supporters of different contenders accused each other of cheating.
This was after three BNF sitting councilors lost to three new comers in the constituency. Supporters of the three council candidates who lost in Khaekholo, Old Kgosing and Masetheng wards have threatened to protest the outcome of the primary elections.
The three winners are believed to be staunch supporters of the current Member Parliament Masego Segokgo who is accused of masterminding the altering of the voters roll which favoured him as the next BNF parliamentary candidate for the 2019 elections. He won against his opponent Letswiti Tutwane.
Supporters of those who lost protested the outcome of the results which they suspect could have been manipulated to favour those who won the primary elections over the weekend.
The BNF supporters expressed the disappointment that despite the fact that they had complained about the voters roll the party went ahead with the elections.
The furious supporters of the losing candidates said the party went ahead with elections while they knew that some of the voters name were not in a list where they voted in the 2014 elections.
The aggrieved BNF members had threatened that the elections would not go ahead without resolving their grievances.
Some of the aggrieved members said that the issues relating to some names disappearing from the voter’s roll was to deny those who are not support Segokgo an opportunity to vote.
BNF Spokeperson Justin Hunyepa said the issue relating to the voters roll was never raised at any point prior to holding primary elections in Tlokweng.
“I know that there is usually verification of voters roll before the elections take place. The verification process was there and I don’t know anything about a case in relation to the missing voters’ names in the voters roll,” added Hunyepa.
According to Hunyepa there was no petition about the voters roll before the Saturday primary elections. He stated that they are still waiting for a report on the just ended elections.
Hunyepa confirmed that the three council candidates who won the elections were new comers. Khaekholo Ward was won by Elvis Seitshiro with 129 votes defeating Thato Pule who got 71 votes. In Old Kgosing, Mothusi Seakgosing got 246 votes while his opponent Norah Nkwe got 159 votes. In another ward ,Kagiso Lopang got 157,beating Gloria Batlang who got 137 votes and Justice Sera trailed behind with 80 votes.
The three sitting councilors who lost are Justice Sera, Batlang Gloria and Norah Nkwe.
