Africa-Press – Botswana. The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has wrapped up council wards demarcation in Kgalagadi South constituency in preparation for the upcoming 2024 General Elections.
Updating Kgalagadi South Constituency Party Liaison Committee on the outcome of the exercise, which started on May 8 and ended on June 7, IEC principal elections officer Mr Norman Tshekiso said council wards had increased by six from 14, bringing to 20 the total number of wards in the constituency.
He said preparations for the 2024 General Elections were ongoing, adding that the demarcation team led by office of the district commissioner embarked on district wide consultation and assessment of the existing polling stations.
Mr Tshekiso said the committee collected both verbal and written submissions from members of the public, political parties, organised groups from Kokotsha to Struizendam, gathering information on what the electorates wanted.
According to the principal elections officer, Draihoek/Makopong ward had been divided into two to become Draihoek and Makopong respectively. Werda council ward has been divided into two namely, Werda East and Werda West. Omaweneno/ Kisa/ Maralaleng has been divided into two namely, Omaweneno and Maralaleng/Kisa respectively.
Furthermore, he said Tsabong which had three council wards in the previous elections, now had four namely; Tsabong South, Tsabong North, Tsabong East and a newly introduced ward named Maubelo-McCarthy’s Rust.
Middlepits-Khuis ward has been divided into two to become Middlepits and Khuis while Bokspits/Struizendam has become Bokspits and Struizendam.
He said the rest of the council wards such as Vaalhoek/Rapplespan, Khawa, Gakhibane, Bogogobo/Kolonkwaneng, Kokotsha and Bray remained unchanged.
Mr Tshekiso noted that they had also assessed accessibility of polling stations and left some as they were, cancelled some, while some were moved to other areas to ensure accessibility of a polling station to electorates. In the previous elections, he said polling stations in the constituency were 65 and had now been increased to 67.
Most of the groundwork, he said, had been done to prepare for voter registration scheduled for October 4 to 31.
He said registration officers would be employed, adding that in Tsabong district, 15 retired officers who were not actively involved in politics would be given responsibility as election supervisors. The youth would also be given opportunity to assist in running elections paired with civil servants at each polling stations, he said.
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