How Motswaledi cut his political teeth

He had no time for kicking homemade soccerballs as his peers did. As politics is as old as humanity itself, Gomolemo – the former Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) secretary general and Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) president – used to take his valuable time to go out and listen to politicians in their element especially the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) politicians. He was only 12 years old at the time and had already made his mind up to be a politician and a chorister of note.

“From his early days whilst at primary school in Serowe, he would just go out to listen to these politicians and come back home to accurately mimic them word for word together with animated reenactions,” says Gomolemo’s 39-year-old younger brother, Gape Motswaledi.