14 May 2017

Counting of ballots to determine the new Member of Parliament for the Tlokweng Constituency has just begun and that is at around 0215 hours on Sunday morning.

That is after a gruelling five hours of the verification process after ballot boxes from all the 35 polling stations reached the Tlokweng Community Hall Saturday night.

A total of 6875 ballots have been verified from votes that were cast across the 35 polling stations, just over half of the 13 000 voters who had registered to vote in 2014.

Meanwhile, a total of 15 780 ballot papers were issued by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) for this bye-election, out of which 8873 remained unused, two spoilt to leave the 6875 used by voters.

Supporters clad in Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) and Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) colours are camped outside the community hall, singing songs as they await the results.

A winner will be announced between Ms Shirley Segokgo, an independent candidate, Mr Elijah Katse of BDP and Mr Masego Segokgo of the UDC to fill in the vacant post that was left by the late MP Same Bathobakae, who died late last year.

The first 100 ballots counted had the UDC leading with 69 votes, followed by 31 of the BDP and none for the independent candidate. Counting continues. ENDS