Tsogwane: The prime winner

Ryder Gabathuse | Monday September 5, 2022 06:00

The VP’s lobby group has performed with aplomb by thumping the opposite lobby group headed by former Cabinet minister, Nonofo Molefhi to a complete whitewash.

This is despite political commentators doubting Tsogwane’s prowess in contesting elected political positions.

Tsogwane garnered an emphatic 806 votes to Molefhi’s 218 votes for the chairperson position.

Secretary-general position was won by Kavis Kario via 750 votes to Shaw Kgathi’s 225 votes, Lemogang Kwape got 739 votes for the deputy secretary-general defeating Unity Dow who was voted by 123 people.

For the deputy treasurer Jagdish Shah defeated his challenger Tebelelo Seretse by 618 votes to 90.

Satar Dada was unopposed for the party treasurer. Neo Kealotswe, Ngaka Ngaka, Machana Shamukuni, Oabile Regoeng and Angelinah Sengalo were roped into the party central committee as additional members under the Tsogwane lobby group.

Tsogwane’s victory does not simply usher him to the new party chairperson role and a team that he leads, it is also the requisite confidence booster to a man whose fortunes in his own constituency have been unstable. Tsogwane’s organisational skills have been in doubt and through the ardent Tsabong triumph, he has proven a point that will go a long way into powering him into other opportunities in the party. It seems the opposition Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) has been getting attention in his Boteti West terrace, a constituency known as the ruling BDP headlock for years. Tsogwane made his nemesis eat humble pie in Tsabong when his team swept the stakes against some of the party veterans in the Molefhi lobby group. Team Tsogwane has left positive parodies in the minds of many party diehards who had misgivings about their leader.

A lot of observers thought a recent development in which Tsogwane embarrassingly chased Kgathi from their lobby group meeting would dent his team’s performance, but the Tsabong results speak for themselves.

The VP took up the party chairperson position on a silver platter after he was co-opted into the BDP politburo when his principal, President Mokgweetsi Masisi rose to the highest office in the land taking over from former president Ian Khama in 2018. At the 2017 elective congress, Tsogwane entered the BDP central committee as an additional member. This was the beginning of good tides for him.

For the next two years after freshly taking over, the advent of COVID-19 struck, suspending political activity including party elective congress and thereby prolonging his stay as the party chairperson for the last four years.

In the 2019 General Elections, Tsogwane survived a scare of his life when former president Ian Khama amongst others targeted his constituency, decampaigning him hostilely.

About 7,006 people re-elected him the Boteti West MP against 6,713 who voted for Tsogwane’s main challenger, Sam Digwa of the opposition UDC during the 2019 General Elections. It was only 293 votes that separated the two Boteti West contenders.

Tsogwane’s fight for his political career started in the 2014 General Elections when he garnered 5,790 votes against Digwa’s 5,549 votes. The difference was 241 votes then. At least for the 2014 and 2019 General Elections, Tsogwane was skating on thin ice as Digwa continued to breathe fire on his neck.

Tsogwane’s victory was to a large extent sponsored by President Masisi who warned the Electoral College just on the eve of the Tsabong elections to consider this fact: “If anything happens to me, this man becomes your President.” The President was referring to Tsogwane whom he was adamant was worthy of the people’s votes. At a party national council that preceded the elective congress, Tsogwane enjoyed Masisi’s favour as he was anointed ahead of the campaigns, to the chagrin of the opposite lobby group. Masisi spoke exceedingly about his deputy as he said: “Tsogwane is my closest advisor both in the party and in government. I value him and thank you so much.”

The visibly elated President Masisi addressed his deputy through the use of the moniker, ‘Slumbisto’ and his family name, ‘Rraagwe Phillip.’

If there were any Doubting Thomases about the strength of Tsogwane, the writing is now on the wall about the man’s competencies and triumphs. It even seems Masisi is slowly preparing his deputy for bigger prospects against initial fears that he was likely to drop him half way in the next possible Cabinet reshuffle. Tsogwane’s victory might boost his standing in his constituency as he has proven his popularity within the ranks of the ruling BDP.

Tsogwane performed exceedingly against the backdrop of a cynical analysis by the University of Botswana (UB) lecturer in politics and administrative studies, Adam Mfundisi. The UB don’s considered view was that the VP is a weakling within the BDP structures and government. In his misgivings, Mfundisi had observed: “Tsogwane has rarely showed strategic leadership in government and Parliament. In the latter, he is erroneously called the Leader of the House which he has shown lack of ethical and accountable leadership,” Mfundisi told Mmegi recently.

He described the VP as, “a loose cannon unable to measure his words. He does not promote harmony, cooperation and collaboration among MPs. Even the VP’s performance as a Minister has not been satisfactory.”

Against all odds, Tsogwane has prevailed, making a clear statement to the troubled party that he will lift the party flag even higher and return it to its winning ways. The BDP went to Tsabong troubled by its poor performance in the by-elections since the 2019 General Elections.

The opposition bloc managed to win 11 of the 14 wards whilst the BDP managed only a paltry three.

Not only that, the party spokesperson, Kagelelo Kentse is troubled by a tendency of some party diehards working against their own party during by-elections, pointing at this as one of the problems besetting their party. He was hopeful in a recent interview that with a lot of hard work from the party leadership and cadres, everybody will shoulder the responsibility and help the party leadership in its endeavours to turn things around.