Africa-Press – Botswana. The Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) has retained the Kgalagadi South constituency following a by-election held over the weekend.
Mr Tokyo Modise (UDC) candidate secured a decisive victory with 6 766 votes, defeating his closest rival, Ms Diana Kaartze of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), who garnered 3,926 votes. This gives Modise a commanding winning margin of 2,840 votes.
The tightly contested by-election featured five candidates, Botswana Congress Party (BCP) candidate Tshephang Brooks received 946 votes, Independent candidate Kealeboga Kapeko obtained 116 votes, while the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) candidate, Phenyo Sedimonyane, secured 99 votes.
The by-election followed the passing of the area’s former MP, Dr Micus Chimbombi, in June this year. Speaking moments after the announcement, an elated Mr Modise expressed deep appreciation to the electorate and his campaign team.
“I cannot hold my excitement! I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the electorate and all those who supported me throughout this campaign,” he said.
Mr Modise pledged to immediately begin working for the people of Kgalagadi South, emphasising that their vote was a mandate to deliver.
“The voters have now employed me, and I will deliver on my promises,” he said.
The newly elected MP highlighted his legislative priorities, noting that the constituency’s unique semi-arid conditions demand focused interventions. His key areas of emphasis will be agriculture, sports development, education, and health.
He underscored that health remained the most pressing issue in Kgalagadi South, largely due to vast distances to referral facilities and persistent challenges in local service delivery.
Mr Modise said addressing these issues would be central to improving socio-economic conditions and enhancing the overall quality of life for residents.
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