13 Aug 2019

Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC)’s vice president, Mr Dumelang Salashando has urged residents to vote for UDC’s parliamentary candidate for Selebi Phikwe East in the coming general elections.

Mr Nkawana will be contesting for the parliamentary seat alongside the ruling Botswana Democratic Party’s (BDP)’s Amogelang Mojuta and Alliance for Progressives’ Mr Rassie Tshenyego.

Launching Mr Nkawana and council hopefuls at Botshabelo on Sunday, Mr Saleshando said UDC was the only party that could change lives for the better in Selebi Phikwe, adding that if residents wanted the BCL Mine to re-open they should vote for UDC.

He said UDC intended to create over 100 000 jobs, something he said BDP failed to do in its 53 years of governance.

UDC, he said, proposed for living wage as opposed to minimum wage, adding that Batswana would be paid P3 000 living wage under the UDC administration if voted into power.

Better salaries, he said meant greater purchasing power and more savings, which would in turn enable businesses to grow. Mr Saleshando,  who is also the Botswana Congress Party president said the country was faced with a serious challenge of unemployment, attributing such to poor economic programmes such as backyard gardening, which he said failed to improve the lives of Batswana.

For his part, Mr Nkawana pleaded with the residents to vote for him in the coming general election, promising to deliver as per the UDC manifesto.

He also pleaded with them to vote for the council hopefuls to enable them works towards a common goal.

UDC’s Selebi Phikwe West parliamentary candidate, Mr Dithapelo Keorapetse said the UDC must win the two Selebi Phikwe constituencies, saying that could be made possible by voting for his party in the 2019 general elections.

He said Phikwe’s once vibrant economy collapsed after the closure of the BCL Mine.

He said he fought by all might to have the BCL Mine re-opened, but lacked support from his counterpart in Selebi phikwe East,.

Mr Keorapetse promised the residents that once voted into power, UDC would resuscitate the textile industry and push for the opening of a BIUST campus and the new Selebi Phikwe hospital.

Mr Nkawana, who is contesting for the second time, lost in the 2014 general election to the incumbent MP, Mr Nonofo Molefhi. ENDS