The determined, unyielding Keorapetse
Mompati Tlhankane | Monday August 1, 2022 06:00
The Selebi-Phikwe West Member of Parliament (MP) was seen as a usurper and traitor by members of the BCP when he assumed the position of Leader of Opposition (LoO) in Parliament.
The problem for the BCP national conference, which put the final nail on his coffin, was that Keorapetse did not just accept the LoO role but he was part of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) caucus, which removed BCP president Dumelang Saleshando from the same position.
Politically, being a LoO is a step up the ladder for Keorapetse but it was a questionable one for the MP for the ghost town who alongside four others was expelled from the party.
As he ponders his next move, one of the questions on many people’s minds is what are his aspirations?
Just like any other politician, the 40-year-old Keorapetse aims to hold powerful positions. Initially, there were reports of tensions between Keorapetse and Saleshando among them being his proximity to the UDC and the Botswana National Front (BNF) president Duma Boko. Another contention was that Keorapetse was eyeing Saleshando’s BCP presidency. This is a move, which was not welcomed by the BCP members who have not challenged Saleshando since he took the baton from his father, Gilson in 2010.
Keorapetse is the same man who took over the senior Saleshando’s constituency when the latter retired and he got into Parliament the same year Saleshando lost Gaborone Central to the then UDC’s Phenyo Butale. In Saleshando’s five-year absence in Parliament, Keorapetse quickly rose to become one of the best performing MPs.
It is said this is what kept alive Keorapetse’s long-held ambition to attain the BCP presidency in his own right. On Monday, Keorapetse rubbished claims that he wanted to challenge Saleshando and revealed that personally he has nothing against the man. While it is not wrong to challenge Saleshando since the BCP is a democratic setup, Keorapetse said the only position he was vying for was the chairpersonship.
“I don’t have anything against Saleshando personally and I have worked with him for 19 years. We started working closely in 2003 when I was a third year student at the University of Botswana (UB). I suspended my studies in 2004 to solely focus on Saleshando’s campaign and fortunately he managed to unseat then incumbent MP Margaret Nasha of the Botswana Democratic Party. We have been serving together in the central committee since my youth league days. I even hosted my wedding after party at his house. Leading to the 2019 general election, I asked BCP members to go all out to make sure that Saleshando does not suffer the 2014 humiliation where he lost Gaborone Central,” Keorapetse clarified during a media briefing. He, however, admitted that recently the relationship with Saleshando has not been easy primarily because of the differences of opinion when it comes to the UDC issues. Already, there were rumours that Keorapetse had various political meetings in SA in a plan to oust Saleshando from the LoO position something that Keorapetse has further denied.
“I never had any political meetings in SA except in the 2019 election campaign where we were together with Saleshando, Boko and Zunaid Moti. Subsequent to that we never had a meeting to discuss the LoO position,” he explained. Even though his ambition at the BCP has raised questions, Keorapetse maintains that his intention was to run for party chairperson but later withdrew.
“There were these undercurrents and I had to reconsider my position. On August I, should be defending my thesis in South Africa so I decided that for now I will not contest for party positions because it would have taken much of my time to campaign,” he indicated. Keorapetse and the MPs he was expelled with still hope for ‘back love’ as they consider reconciliations with their former party.
For a man who has indicated that some BCP members were already de-campaigning him in his own constituency, it is quite difficult to imagine Keorapetse winning back the hearts of the BCP members let alone become their president. As there is no formula in politics, it will be imperil to rule out any possibility.
Just like he always says, Keorapetse is determined to defend UDC with everything because he believes in the project.
“I signed and ran under the UDC ticket and I did bind myself with it. What we have is a common interest and we are with whoever will aid the process of attaining power,” he said. Keorapetse said he chose the UDC over his party because he feared for the worst, which is a by-election. He said had he defied the UDC, he could have been kicked out and therefore, being forced to defend his position in a by-election.
“Personally I am not ready for a by-election,” he pointed out.
It is also said Keorapetse has been on Boko’s side because he desires the UDC vice-presidency seat, which eventually culminates in the UDC presidency. Even though he initially avoided the subject, he said just like other UDC MPs he is in constant touch with Boko and they bounce ideas off him before making major decisions.
Whether or not Keorapetse has the BCP or even the UDC presidential aspirations, his current position as just a UDC member without any political home among the three coalition parties has stoked further speculation about his 2024 chances. Keorapetse’s chances remain slimmer in Selebi-Phikwe West after the expulsion, which adds further fuel to the speculative fire over whether or not he will contest the 2024 general election under the BNF ticket.
That assumption was dismissed by one of the expelled BCP MPs, Never Tshabang this week when he said none of them has any intention to join the BNF. It’s interesting to see how this will play out for Keorapetse given his current situation and how much of a stronghold the BCP has on Selebi-Phikwe West. Going forward, he faces a mammoth task of salvaging the grip on his constituency whose prospects look bleak. With Phikwe set to come to life in the future with the BCL mine reopening, Keorapetse’s assignment is convincing Selebi-Phikwe West voters that there is something in it for them if they vote for him in 2024.
Defiance and expulsion aside, Keorapetse’s trajectory so far shows that he is a determined and unyielding man whose background even speaks volumes.
Keorapetse’s political career started in 1999 when he joined the BCP. He was the secretary-general of the BCP UB cell from 2002-2005. He was then elected vice president of the BCP Youth League in April 2011 and became the president of the league from 2012-2015. In October 2014 he was elected MP for Selebi-Phikwe West, becoming the youngest MP in Botswana at the time. He was the Opposition Whip of the 11th Parliament.
He served as a Political Science and Public Administration Lecturer at University of Botswana from 2008-2019 but between 2014 and 2019 he was on unpaid leave. He worked as a resource person for the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) Command and Staff College and the Botswana Police College.
He was also an Assistant Anti-Corruption Officer: Corruption Prevention at the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) from November 2009-August 2010. Keorapetse joined the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) as a member from 2015-2019. The former BCP Information and Publicity Secretary then returned to chair the 57th PAC replacing former chairperson and Kanye South MP Abram Kesupile, a position he currently holds. Among his duties as chairperson, he prevents corruption through management audits, research and seminars.
Alongside other PAC members Keorapetse examines after the end of each financial year; the accounts and statements prepared and signed by the Accountant General in accordance with the provisions of the Finance and Audit Act. The Keorapetse-led PAC also examines such other accounts value for money and management performance reports laid before the Assembly as may be referred to it by the Assembly, and report the results of such examinations to the Assembly. He is also the treasurer of a Regional Inter-Parliamentary Committee: Southern African Development Community Organization of Public Accounts Committees (SADCOPAC). He serves as member in various parliamentary committees including Foreign Affairs, Defence, Justice and Security, Youth, Sport, Arts & Culture Committee and Governance and Oversight.
He is now the secretary general of the SADC Organization of Public Accounts Committees. In terms of his educational background in 2005 he attained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Sciences: Political Science & Public Administration at the University of Botswana. Two years later Keorapetse accomplished a master’s degree in public administration in human resource management from the same university. He is currently studying for his PhD in University of Witwatersrand.
As the LoO, he is the official spokesperson of the majority opposition party in Parliament. Keorapetse has the right to make official statements in the National Assembly on important national and international issues on behalf of the majority opposition. He now enjoys the same status as the Leader of the House in relation to the business of the House.
Keorapetse will also be allotted longer speaking times than ordinary members during debates on the State of the Nation Address, Budget Speech or any other major Government Policy Statement. His performance in Parliament and the positions he holds are a possible feasible springboard to the top. His 24 years of BCP membership may be lost but his aspirations are still within reach. Keorapetse’s undimmed loyalty to Boko has paid off but it is not automatic because the UDC ticket in 2024 may not guarantee him a place in the next Parliament.