Mmegi

Veteran women in opposition politics talk hard work, persistence

TSAONE BASIMANEBOTLHE Staff Writer

Former Botswana National Front (BNF) chairperson Abigail Mogalakwe (68) has proved that patience and resilience are necessary characteristics in politics. Mogalakwe has a long history in politics, having contested several times and managed to keep hope that one day she would be a representative for the people of Mahalapye South ward, in the Mahalapye West constituency.

Despite her many losses, her faith and belief that one day she will win kept Mogalakwe pushing hard in opposition politics.

In an interview with Mogalakwe on Tuesday this week, she revealed that she joined active politics in 2000 and her aim then was to increase women’s voice in politics.

“Because my husband knew my strength, he supported me. In 2004, I challenged the late vice president Mompati Merafhe at the general election contesting under the BNF ticket.

The BNF was voted by over 1,600 people and we were happy because by then it was a stronghold of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP). That alone, was a good result because it was an indication that the BNF was growing in the area and people were taking our messages seriously. The outcome made us to keep campaigning in the area. In the 2009 General Election, I didn’t contest but I contested again for the parliamentary seat in 2012 after Merafhe’s death, and I lost. But I never gave up,” Mogalakwe recalled.

She said if she did not have determination and encouragement from her family and party members, she could have given up but she did not.

In 2014 when the Mahalapye West constituency was allocated to the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) under the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), she stood for the Mahalapye South ward and lost.

She contested for the same ward again in 2019 and finally won.

At Mahalapye, Mogalakwe was the first woman to challenge Merafhe and to make it more difficult, she was from the opposition. She said the painful thing about opposition politics is that there are no resources and one is forced to employ family resources for campaigns hence some women do not have interest in contesting.

She encouraged other women to avoid looking down upon themselves when it comes to contesting for political positions. She said the reason why some women do not want to contest is lack of funds as campaigns are costly and even those who wish to assist seek favours in return.

In addition, she said political education can shift mindset change, especially voters and aspirants who lack courage. She said currently at the Mahalapye District Council, out of 36 councillors, only six are women. While from that 36, only two are duly elected and four are specially elected councillors.

Daisy Bathusi

For the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) activist Bathusi (57) the reason why she remains focused and passionate about politics and gender activism despite the numerous setbacks is primarily that to her, politics is a calling.

“My conviction and commitment to human rights advocacy, particularly gender is not something I have to think about, it’s my second nature. I strongly believe that just as we have managed to convince the world to consider our economic disenfranchisement, such that policies have been made to accommodate us on that front, we can with commitment, perseverance and the same reverence convince them to look at the political climate in the same lens,” she said.

According to Bathusi, hope is what one requires. Additionally, she says she will be contesting for the Boteti East parliamentary seat in the 2024 General Election. In 2012 she stood for internal party structure for the Boteti regional chairperson and won.

Again she stood for the 2014 General Election against the Assistant Minister of Health, Sethomo Lelatisitswe and lost.

In 2019, she did not contest although she was willing and available because of coalition politics. That came after her party, the BCP became an affiliate of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) but the constituency was given to another party affiliate.

Bathusi is a member of the Africa End Sexual Harassment Initiative (AEISHI), an initiative of lawyers and politicians; a founding member and first secretary general of the Women in Mining Botswana Association (WIMBO) and also an activist for Gender and Human Rights Activism.

Women In Politics

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2023-03-17T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-03-17T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://enews.mmegi.bw/article/281608129667185

Dikgang Publishing