Tsogwane eyes presidency
Mompati Tlhankane | Monday September 5, 2022 06:00
Masisi will obviously seek re-election for his second and last term in 2024, but at the moment Tsogwane is the heir apparent set to take over when Masisi relinquishes his duties in 2028.
If he manages to retain his VP and BDP chairmanship until 2028, Tsogwane will lead the BDP to the 2029 general election as party president, exactly 30 years since he made his debut in Parliament.
Often seen as a temporary VP who will possibly retire before Masisi’s term elapses to pave way for another, many politicians especially within the BDP openly doubt Tsogwane’s abilities to assume the country’s highest office.
Considering that Tsogwane narrowly flipped results in Boteti West when Sam Digwa of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) led for a very long time during the counting at the last general election in 2019, many have doubted his (Tsogwane's) prowess. Tsogwane won by 7,006 votes against Digwa’s 6,713. It was not the first time the longest serving Member of Parliament (MP) was skating on thin ice.
In 2014 Tsogwane won by 5790 while Digwa got 5549 votes. This past weekend he was competing against former Selebi-Phikwe East legislator Nonofo Molefhi for the BDP chairperson position and many thought it would be a close contest only for Tsogwane to win convincingly with 806 votes against Molefhi’s 218. Many overlooked Tsogwane, a former Social Studies teacher as the obvious front-runner to succeed Masisi. For a very long time politicians in Boteti have been writing Tsogwane's political obituary but each time he has proven them wrong.
Reports from his constituency had in the past shown that the political future of the former Assistant Minister of Finance and Development Planning seemed bleak. In Tsabong this past weekend, Tsogwane said he does not understand why his detractors talk about his declining numbers over the years during general elections when the same people have lost elections over and over again.
“I have not lost any election. Between me and them who is better,” Tsogwane questioned during a press briefing after his win. Since he defied political odds by beating the late political stalwart Gabofele Masusu who was the then incumbent MP at the BDP primaries in Boteti ahead of the 1999 General Elections, Tsogwane has never lost any primary or general election and he was not about to break that trend last weekend. After his weekend win, Tsogwane, who is also Leader of the House in Parliament, is setting his eyes on mounting a successful bid for the top job once Masisi hands over the baton. Right now he is bidding his time and seems unbothered by speculation that Masisi and some kingmakers within the BDP are grooming finance minister and BDP Women’s Wing chairperson Peggy Serame to take over as president post Masisi.
To that end, a plan has been allegedly hatched to fast-track Serame’s political career in the party and position her to potentially become the country’s first female vice president. Despite reports of Serame reportedly gaining favour within the BDP power brokers, Tsogwane does not see any move that could remove him from his VP post. To Tsogwane, Serame maybe Masisi’s understudy but she is no heir apparent.
Remember, Tsogwane was initially set to retire from politics before the 2019 elections to make way for someone younger and more energetic in former minister of trade Bogolo Kenewendo. But Tsogwane changed his mind on handing over Boteti West while Kenewendo was pushed out. Although with Masisi no one could ever say their position is safe, Tsogwane and the latter have grown close since he was chosen VP in 2018. Masisi was even jubilant when Tsogwane emerged as the winner this past weekend. Speaking in Tsabong on the eve of the congress, Tsogwane disclosed that MPs past and present thought he was not intelligent. He said all the legislators who found him in Parliament have lost key positions in the central committee (CC) while others have lost elections but he remains the last man standing. He said some of the MPs never thought he could become VP. “God helped me because they didn’t think I would become VP. They ignored and underestimated me but that was their mistake.
Now they are here claiming that they want the chairperson position but we all know that they are after the vice presidency and eventually the presidency,” Tsogwane expressed. Tsogwane, who has been in Parliament since 1999, said all of these MPs found him in Parliament and are his juniors. He also said what is surprising is that they formed factions which, he has never been party to. Tsogwane also said the legislators formed factions in the hope that they will get ministerial positions. “You will never find my name in the books of Barata Phathi, you will not find my name in the so called A-Team. I was with the likes of Daniel Kwelagobe in Parley but I was never influenced by anyone to join factions. I have never bootlicked my way to the top. I have never before contested for any position in the central committee yet many legislators found me in Parliament,” Tsogwane highlighted indicating that it was now his turn. Making another hint that he is eyeing the presidency post Masisi, Tsogwane said his position as VP was enough reason to contest for the BDP chairmanship for the first time in his political career. “The last 23 years I had all reasons not to contest for the CC. I have told the BDP members that the president didn’t ask me to contest for these elections.
I have good reasons why I have to do it,” Tsogwane further said making a suggestion that his journey towards the presidency has pretty begun. The VP said by selecting the lobby list that managed to win, he has shown his ability to choose, a trait he needs if he is to one day become president of the country. “My responsibility is to choose and you should get used to it. A leader should be able to choose. I asked you if Masisi retires, would I come to you to help choose members of the Cabinet? Your answer was no and that is what I am doing.
I want you to get used to the fact that I choose,” Tsogwane told BDP members in Tsabong. Overall, Tsogwane is not quite the perfect VP and he has had his own challenges tackling some mandates in his office. Many could argue that Tsogwane’s lack of validity as a leader sometimes has been his own doing, including stumbling during presentation of speeches. However, this does not diminish his political prospects and the weekend whitewash in Tsabong is a clear indication of that. For as long as he is the BDP chairman and the country’s VP, Tsogwane will always enjoy his advantage over other possible contenders. Tsogwane has proven himself over the weekend therefore if there is anyone in the BDP who still thinks the VP is a non-factor, they will be doing so at their own peril. Anyone within the political circles who thinks Tsogwane would be an easy pushover risks failing as badly as Molefhi did in Tsabong. Currently, in the BDP Tsogwane remains the one to beat.
Tsogwane has since remarried, another indicator that he is preparing for the top seat, a role perceived to be enhanced by one having a First Lady on his side. He lost his first wife Boikothao and did not remarry until last year when he married his current wife Magdeline. Tsogwane also took the opportunity in Tsabong to introduce Magdeline for the first time in front of the BDP. “Batho ba ne ba ipelaetsa gore a ke tlabo ke retire hela,” he uttered.