Member of Parliament (MP) for Tati West, Simon Moabi told a weekend Botswana Democratic Party victory celebration rally that he is proud of his constituents and intends to continue serving them beyond the 2024 general elections.

Moabi went to Parliament in 2019 after defeating Tshepo Makhani of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) and Biggie Butale of the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) who got 4783 and 1622 to his 6236 votes.

“I thank you for taking me to Parliament. I have not and will not disappoint you. I need your full support in the 2024 general elections because, although we have achieved a lot in terms of delivering the roads and water reticulation project, as well as residential plot allocations in the constituency, there is still much more that needs to be done,” Moabi appealed, noting that the land boards are at last at work allocating plots to the people of Tati west.

Member of Parliament for Tonota, Pono Moathodi congratulated the Tati West BDP members for deploying Moabi to Parliament.

He appreciated Moabi for being passionate about his constituency hence leaving no stone unturned in his efforts to improve the livelihoods of his constituents by bringing amenities to them.

“Come 2024, you will have no reason to look around for an MP because Moabi represents you well in Parliament as he always takes your concerns there,” Moathodi said and further called upon BDP members especially those who have not yet started campaigning for the 2024 general elections to start campaigning right away because, “elections are won three years before the election year.”

Moathodi also called upon the BDP constituents to voluntarily avail themselves to Moabi’s constituency and engage in robust house-tohouse campaigns in aid of his campaign ahead of the general elections next year.

Waxing lyrical about the achievements of the BDP, Moathodi told the rally that despite complaints from the opposition, Botswana has some of the best roads on the African continent.

He expressed confidence that President Mokgweetsi Masisi’s “globe-trotting’’ efforts, although dismissed by the opposition as a waste of resources, will bring jobs to Botswana for the benefit of the unemployed youth.

“There will soon be jobs for the youth due to the external sojourns by President Masisi,” said the hyper active BDP operative given to being dramatic at rallies.

Moathodi, who at one point joined the UDC before returning to the BDP, used the rally to accuse the opposition of being anti-democracy.

“It is not an easy job to manage a country but with Masisi leading us, you can confidently tell your unemployed children that government has not forsaken them,” the MP declared.

He appealed to his audience to ignore the opposition because, according to his judgement, the Botswana opposition is clueless.

“There is no peace in the opposition. You know how I left them,” Moathodi said.

BDP secretary general, Kavis Kario said the BDP needs to be retained in power because of the achievements it has made in its fight against livestock diseases such as the Foot and Mouth Disease among other achievements.

“As we thank you for deploying Moabi, we also call upon you to vote the BDP candidate in the Mapoka-Nlapkhwane by-election. Do not wait for invitations.

“I implore you to sacrifice for the party particularly regarding the by-election. Go out there and mobilise as if you are the ward candidate yourself, as if you are the one contesting,” Kario urged the crowd.

For his part, the Vice President, Slumber Tsogwane congratulated the Tati West voters for voting the way they did in 2019.

“They knew what they were looking for. The people of Tati West had thoroughly studied and understood the party constitution and election manifesto which oppose tribalism, while promoting democracy as well as fighting poverty, hunger, ignorance and arrogance among other challenges,” the VP stated.

Tsogwane challenged the voter to compare the BDP manifesto and those of the opposition parties.

“If we had listened to the unsolicited advice from the opposition, thousands of people would have died from the COVID-19 pandemic. We can be trusted because we saved many lives which were threatened by the pandemic,” the VP, also BDP national chairman, stated.

The VP is unrepentant for government’s decision to close borders to vegetable imports so that locals can sell the commodities without competition from outside.

His government, he says, is in the process of opening trade opportunities with the international community for the benefit of this country.

“Over and above that, instead of selling raw diamonds, plans are in place to add value to our diamonds by processing them here and creating jobs for the citizens,” Tsogwane explained.