- Masisi averts 3-way contest and names Nkate chief advisor in his office
- President said likely to bring up another trade-off for Kwerepe to defer to Kario
LETLHOGILE MPUANG
In what is seen as a trade-off, former MP for Ngamiland Jacob Nkate is reported to have made a deal to yield to Kavis Kario as a candidate for the ruling Botswana Democratic Party in the constituency well ahead of primary elections.
Kario is currently Secretary General of the BDP.
President Mokgweetsi Masisi disclosed at a recent BDP press conference that Nkate has been appointed Chief Advisor in the Office of the President.
Frontrunner
Sources say Nkate was preparing to run in the primaries towards becoming the candidate of the ruling party in Ngamiland in 2024. The apparent trade-off has averted a three-way contest between Nkate, Kario and Thato Kwerepe, who is also known to be rolling up his sleeves for the primaries.
“He was one of the frontrunners for the Ngamiland constituency,” said a BDP insider. “Kario is not as strong as Nkate in the constituency, hence Nkate agreed to yield to him.”
Nkate lost the 2018 primaries to Kwerepe and subsequently announced that he would retire from active politics. However, The Botswana Gazette is given to understand that he has been quite active in the constituency lately.
Namibia
Informed sources say Kwerepe may also have to defer to Kario in another trade-off brokered by President Masisi for him to take over as Botswana’s High Commissioner to Namibia, a post that became vacant when Comma Serema was redeployed to China late last year.
The BDP lost the Ngamiland constituency in the 2019 general elections to the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) when Carter Hikuama defeated Kwerepe. However, observers say the UDC-Botswana Congress Party spilt and resulting rift is likely to create a challenge for Hikuama to retain the constituency.
Hikuama is one of the MPs who remained loyal to the BCP when the two entities fell out last year.
Attempts to reach Kario and Kwerepe proved futile when their phones were not answered yesterday (Tuesday).