Selebi-Phikwe West

Selebi-Phikwe West
Single-member constituency
for the National Assembly
Boundary of Selebi-Phikwe West in Botswana
DistrictCentral District
Population24,759[1]
Major settlementsSelebi-Phikwe
Area87 km2
Current constituency
Created2002
Party  UDC
Created fromSelebi-Phikwe
MPDithapelo Keorapetse
Margin of victory1,450 (21.5 pp)

Selebi-Phikwe West is a constituency in Selebi-Phikwe represented in the National Assembly of Botswana since 2014 by Dithapelo Keorapetse an UDC MP and current Leader of the Opposition of Botswana.

Constituency profile

The constituency was created alongside Selebi-Phikwe East in 2002 for the 2004 election, when the Selebi-Phikwe constituency was divided into two. The constituency is home of the BCL Limited mine, whose closure in 2016 left more than 5,000 people unemployed. The constituency's reputation as one of the most anti-BDP of the country is largely attributed to this.[2][3] Since 2009 it has voted for BCP (later UDC) candidates. The urban constituency encompasses the following locations:[4]

  1. Selibe Phikwe Township
  2. BCL Limited
  3. Botswana Defence Force (BDF) Camp
  4. Selibe Phikwe State Prison

Members of Parliament

Key:   BDP   BCP   UDC

Election Winner
2004 election Kavis Kario
2009 election Gilson Saleshando
2014 election Dithapelo Keorapetse
2019 election

Election results

2019 election

General election 2019: Selebi-Phikwe West[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UDC Dithapelo Keorapetse 3,987 59.08 +9.98
BDP Allen Lekwapa 2,537 37.59 +0.74
AP Masego Mosinyi 225 3.33 N/A
Margin of victory 1,450 21.49 +9.24
Total valid votes 6,749 99.51 +0.19
Rejected ballots 33 0.49 −0.19
Turnout 6,782 83.81 −1.47
Registered electors 8,092
UDC hold Swing +5.36

2014 election

General election 2014: Selebi-Phikwe West[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
BCP Dithapelo Keorapetse 4,247 49.10 +1.49
BDP Opelo Makhandlela 3,187 36.85 −2.73
UDC Moeti Mohwasa 1,215 14.05 +1.23
Margin of victory 1,060 12.25 +4.22
Total valid votes 8,649 99.47 −0.05
Rejected ballots 46 0.53 +0.05
Turnout 8,695 85.28 +6.24
Registered electors 10,196
BCP hold Swing +2.11

2009 election

General election 2009: Selebi-Phikwe West[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
BCP Gilson Saleshando 3,997 47.61 +9.7
BDP Kavis Kario 3,323 39.58 −2.36
BNF Moeti Mohwasa 1,076 12.82 −7.33
Margin of victory 674 8.03 N/A
Total valid votes 8,396 99.61 +0.64
Rejected ballots 33 0.39 −0.64
Turnout 8,429 79.04 −1.6
Registered electors 10,664
BCP gain from BDP Swing +6.03

2004 election

General election 2004: Selebi-Phikwe West[8]
Party Candidate Votes %
BDP Kavis Kario 3,100 41.94
BCP Gilson Saleshando 2,802 37.91
BNF Otsweletse Moupo 1,489 20.15
Margin of victory 298 4.03
Total valid votes 7,391 98.97
Rejected ballots 77 1.03
Turnout 7,468 80.64
Registered electors 9,261
BDP win (new seat)

References

  1. ^ 2022 DELIMITATION COMMISSION REPORT (PDF). 2022. pp. 25–26.
  2. ^ "Nation still haunted by the BCL shut-down decision!". Botswana Guardian. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  3. ^ "6,000 jobs to go at state-owned mines in Botswana". IndustriALL. 2016-10-19. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  4. ^ REPORT OF THE DELIMITATION COMMISSION, 2012 (PDF). 2012. pp. 74–76.
  5. ^ Report to the Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration on the 2019 General Elections (PDF). Independent Electoral Commission (IEC). 2020.
  6. ^ 2014 General Elections Report (PDF). Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).
  7. ^ Report To The Minister Of Presidential Affairs And Public Administration On The 2009 General Elections (PDF). Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).
  8. ^ BOTSWANA GENERAL ELECTIONS 30th OCTOBER 2004 POLLING RESULTS (PDF). Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).