BDP wouldn’t dare recruit me – Motshegwa
Mompati Tlhankane | Monday November 27, 2023 06:00
Speaking during a media briefing this week, Motshegwa said people who suggest that he could dump the BNF for the BDP do not know him at all. “Everyone at the BDP knows they cannot talk to me. I spent almost the entire period of my life fighting the BDP in the labour movement and I left the public service at the expulsion of the BDP government for my trade union work.
I was one of the people who led the massive 2011 strike,” he said. Motshegwa said as a member of the BNF and part of the leadership, their agenda is to fight the BDP. There were also rumours that Motshegwa had fallen out with the BNF president Duma Boko because they do not agree on a lot of issues.
Commenting on the issue, the trade unionist-cum politician said he does not know why people drag Boko into the issue because the latter has his own role. He said even though there is a contestation of ideas in the party, the leadership of the BNF is intact. He admitted that he had experienced major challenges at the labour movement compared to the BNF therefore, there is no reason to run away. “If you are a strong leader, you participate in this contestation of ideas, you don’t run away,” he emphasised. He said if the BDP wants to court him then it is just a dream that could never be a reality. “It’s like a herd boy from the cattle post who wishes to marry a white girl, it can never happen,” he highlighted. Motshegwa further assured the BNF members that he does not have any association with the BDP. He officially contested for a political office in the 2019 General Election under the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) banner. In what was a three-horse race for Gaborone Bonnington South, Motshegwa came third behind incumbent Christian Greef of the BDP and Ndaba Gaolathe of the Alliance for Progressives (AP). Greef won the parliamentary seat by garnering 4, 603 votes, Gaolathe came second with 3, 461 while Motshegwa got 2, 367 votes.
Motshegwa’s 2019 candidature was seen as a strategy by the UDC to present itself as a party which is accommodative to workers and trade unions. Motshegwa was known as a militant trade unionist and he started his activism in Francistown where he was the chairperson of Botswana Land Board and Local Authorities and Health Workers Union (BLLAHWU), Francistown branch, and the BOFEPUSU regional secretary. He later rose to become the BLLAHWU SG in 2010 and deputy SG of BOFEPUSU in 2011.
He was the treasurer-general of the African Municipalities and Local Government Unions Network (AMALUN), the chairperson of Public Service International (International Trade Union Secretariat) in Botswana. He represented workers and trade unions in various international forums including International Labour Conference. During his time in trade unions, he at some point became chief negotiator at the Public Service Bargaining Council. He has been a fearless trade unionist who pursued the workers agenda and was among the people who led the 2011 massive industrial strike. In 2014, government froze his salary on account of his trade unionism but withdrew after court intervention. Motshegwa was finally dismissed in 2015.
Motshegwa was born in Mmadinare where he is now expected to contest following Gaolathe’s return to the UDC. He will now seek to wrestle the Mmadinare constituency from incumbent, Molebatsi Molebatsi of the BDP. He is likely to face Specially Elected Member of Parliament and former Mmadinare legislator Kefentse Mzwinila who has launched a vigorous primary election campaign to reclaim the seat he won in 2014. As Motshegwa fancies his chances in his home village, he will rely on his family ties and proximity to royalty. Mmadinare constituency, since its inception, has always been a BDP stronghold. Motshegwa will seek to turn the tide in a BDP stranglehold and a constituency that had heavyweight and former Vice President, Ponatshego Kedikilwe as its MP for the longest time.