“So help me God”, the beginning of a five year tenure symbolized in front of the Chief Justice Terence Rannowane followed by a round of applause to signify yet another democratically elected government of Botswana. This chant has somewhat echoed in the four men’s minds vying to lead Botswana government through their political parties when the nation go to polls on the 30th October 2024.
This phrase form part of the oath that a political party’s leader that amass 31 constituency seats or more will raise their hand to be sworn in, and or a coalition government if no party claim the fate.
Now down to the wire, after a busy schedule of the dancing, the chants, the orchestras in different political rallies – its now up-to the leaders to go for a kill, an eye for an eye in a democratic debates on who has the nation’s aspirations and the zeal to lift the economy of a landlocked Southern African nation with a population of 2.6 million people.
The Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) president, Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi, Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) president Advocate Duma Boko, Botswana Patriotic Font (BPF) president Mephato Reatile and Botswana Congress Party (BCP) president Dumelang Saleshando will battle it out in a famous presidential debate expected to put a final narrative to over one million electorates expected to cast their votes next week. Masisi will be seeking his second term in office will the trio will look to get their historic stay at the State House for the first time.
The debates are expected on Thursday 24 October 2024 in the evening at Mass Media Complex in Gaborone and they will be aired on Botswana Television and radio Botswana at 1900hrs CAT. Among those expected to grace the cutthroat tell it all conversations will include political parties top brass and other stakeholders such as civil societies, media among others.
The quartet are expected to visualise their parties manifestos in their quest to lament the superiority over the other. The BDP enjoys the state power since 1966 while other parties will be looking to end the party’s dominance.
This will be the second time the BDP goes to polls with opposition parties enjoying the support of the former president Lt Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama who resigned from his former party subsequent to political differences with Masisi’s administration .
