Africa-Press – Botswana. Councillors Kgomotso Mmereki and Thulaganyo Lucas have been voted chairperson and deputy chairperson of the new Bobirwa District Council.
The new district was formely a sub-district under Central District Council until April 1, following statutory instrument 182 of 2022 that established the district.
Chairperson, Mr Mmereki, a nominated councillor, beat his challenger Mr Victor Mphee to the top political seat of the district council by 15 to four votes while Mr Lucas beat Mr Leatile Ganetsang by 14 to five votes respectively.
Mr Mmereki has been the chairperson of the now defunct Bobirwa Sub- district Council and was deputised by Mr Lucas.
In his acceptance speech, the chairperson committed to joining hands with the administrative wing to serve the constituents well.
“We will sit together as the political and the administrative wings to chart a way into the future of the new district with special emphasis on service delivery and nipping out corruption in the bud,” said Mr Mmereki.
In the meeting, he said some of the issues to be discussed would be on how the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development could assist the newly established entity to take off and meet the needs of the people.
Although he addressed the council for the first time without the traditional chairperson’s chain, Mr Mmereki said that there were more pressing needs than wearing the chain, which he described as ‘just a show of position and or rank’.
The chairperson said that the chain for his office and that of his deputy would be procured before end of May.
While thanking his colleagues for a show of faith and confidence by elevating him to lead a new entity, Mr Mmereki called on councillors from across the political divide to help turn the wheels of the new entity into a fully-fledged district.
For his part, deputy chairperson, Mr Lucas said that his was to help run the council successfully by prioritising service delivery to the whole of the territory it served.
He reiterated the need for all stakeholders to help provide traction and direction to the new ‘baby’.
In the process of discharging his official duties, Mr Lucas promised to be fair and impartial, saying the name Bobirwa would not nudge him into discriminating against the sections of the district that fell under Mmadinare and peripheries.
However, the voting was not without drama.
Councillor Martin Goitsemang accused the acting council secretary (CS) Mr Gregor Lepang of unfitness to hold office and discharge duties of presiding officer during the elections.
He accused the acting CS of biasness towards certain councillors, whom he said influenced him to have deadline for nominations altered at their requests.
He alleged that the acting council secretary placed an advert in the official Facebook page of the council showing that Mr Mmereki was unopposed.
That as it may, councillors learnt about the powers of the vouncil secretary as a presiding officer and appealed for the voting to kickstarts nonetheless.
While responding to the accusations, Mr Lepang conceded to some mistakes, especially that he was guided by the Local Government Act and Standing Orders of the Central District Council which ceased to operate on April 1 when Bobirwa District Council broke free from Central District Council.
However, the council secretary explained that nominations would still be accepted even on the elections day, with candidates accorded 15 minutes to caucus.
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