Semolale — Botswana Congress Party (BCP) last weekend held a massive political rally in Semolale village in the Bobirwa constituency at which speakers lambasted the ruling party for alleged failure to live up to its promises.

They also stressed their confidence that the Bobirwa constituency is now fully ripe for them to snatch it from the ruling party. Bobirwa North East ward will attract more attention because initially it was won by the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) but they lost it to the BCP in a by-election after the death of Tshidiso Seleke.

BCP parliamentary candidate for the constituency, Lucas Taolo said his party is contesting for the third term in Bobirwa, an indication that they are "determined to rescue Bobirwa from the brutality of the ruling party". He said area MP Shaw Kgathi (of BDP) has dismally failed in his assignment but claims credit for the successes made by the Bobirwa North East ward councillor Kimbele Malesela. He charged that Kgathi would not publicly lobby for the needs of Babirwa because he was scared of being relieved of his Cabinet post. "It is a pathetic situation we are seeing in Bobirwa. Farmers are even relocating their farms away from the border line and villagers recently sent a delegation to President Ian Khama because their MP has failed them."

Lucas said MPs must be dignified and trustworthy people to their electorate and people's interest must prevail above self-interest. He added that villages do not develop because the current development system gives cities and towns priority over small villages. He said according to the plan, priority is given to the main cities followed by district headquarters then sub district headquarters. "That is why major developments are concentrated in cities at the expense of small villages and it is a deliberate plan that needs sound politicians to challenge. We really should challenge this as the BCP."

Molefhe Mosothwane, of Tsogang ward in Gaborone, said Malesela has impressively delivered despite that he entering council later than other councillors. Malesela won the ward after the by-election that saw the ruling party losing the ward to BCP. He said in March 2001 they wrote government, warning that much reliance on minerals would have serious repercussions if the economy collapsed. He said now the government has got no clue how they can diversify the economy and it is not even in the ruling party's manifesto. Mosothwane said once they attain power they will start by setting up a committee that will help diversify and safeguard the economy, increase government stake in all the mines as well as ensure that mines create employment for the local people.

Samuel Moribame, who is a council candidate in Francistown, said BDP is currently engulfed in serious infights and there is no more "quiet diplomacy" that members used to claim was their system of resolving disputes. He urged Babirwa to back the BCP because it is a party with the sympathy of those who lose their livestock to Zimbabwean rustlers at heart. He called on the youth to discard their pride during election date and vote because Bobirwa is in need of change. Moribame added that since independence in 1966 Bobirwa region has been starved of developments. "BDP's term of ruling has elapsed and we are going to leave them with only one MP come October," he said.

Koos Mashaba, on the other hand, said their first priority, as the BCP would be to build housing structures for the local people through local contractors who will also create employment for the local people. He said this would bridge the gap between the rich and the poor. Mashaba said the problem with the ruling party is that it lacks sound leadership otherwise it would exploit the abundant tourism opportunities and the rich mining sector to boost the economy. "This simply requires intelligent leaders and do not expect any change from President Ian Khama," said.