Motaosane’s staying powe

Ryder Gabathuse | Tuesday December 9, 2025 12:18

 

Palelo Motaosane.PIC.KENNEDY RAMOKONE

Playing street soccer in the dusty streets of Thamaga village as a young man, Motaosane, with a moniker that corrupts his surname to Mathousand or Thousands, harboured the dream of becoming an engineer.

From a tender age, he chose to be a non-smoker and a teetotaller so that he would not blame anything tomorrow for his possible failures down his career path. This seems to have worked very well for him, as he looks much younger than his real age.

“Life direction depends on the set foundation. It can be good or bad. It’s the parents who help chart the way forward,” he told Mmegi thoughtfully, this week.

He continues: “If the parents do not value education, what guidance and support can you really get from them?”

His parents could not afford school fees for him and his siblings in a family of seven children. As a senior child, he had to take obligation to see to it that his siblings go to school and make their dreams real. He never threw in the towel but instead soldiered on for the good of his family.

“I sacrificed for my family. We were a family of seven before we lost two along the way,” he explains. He literally raised his siblings to the extent that some of them even graduated from the university under his leadership and backing.

“I shouldered responsibility early in my life to ensure my siblings go to school for their betterment and future endeavours.”

He had to abandon the notion of furthering his education post his Junior Certificate as that would have been detrimental to the educational needs of his siblings, as the parents could not afford to pay school fees.

Motaosane bled when he witnessed one of his siblings dropping out of school to shepherd livestock at the family cattle post, as he knew that meant regression and a struggle for his future.

At some stage, three of his brothers struggled between JC and Cambridge, but he was determined to pay for their school fees so that they could progress to better levels.

“Had I managed to progress to tertiary level myself, I would have definitely studied electrical engineering as that was my first love, which unfortunately was frustrated by lack of funds.” He chose his family ahead of his educational needs. Despite his failure to pursue his youthful dream career, Motaosane is proud that he has instead sown a seed of knowledge amongst his family members.

“Today, all my family members are working and providing for their families in different ways.”

One of the strengths that buoyed him into politics was his ability to debate at the level of JC and his love for current affairs, which propelled him into political activism.

He would later join the BDP, which was in power at the time, until he tried his luck as a councillor at Thamaga North following the Delimitation exercise in the year 2004 and since then he never looked back with his string of successes. Between 2004 and 2019, Motaosane’s popularity took an upward trajectory as a councillor. He would later take a deliberate step and upgrade to a parliamentary seat, and he was never disappointed, as in 2019, he got a nod to represent his people.

After 15 years as a councillor for Thamaga North, he was paid off in 2019 when the villagers elected him to the 12th Parliament as an MP for the Thamaga/Kumakwane constituency. He is in the 13th Parliament as one of the legislators who clocked high numbers at the 2024 General Election after garnering 8,310 votes.

The only worrying development is that villagers put pressure on Motaosane’s shoulders as his councillors were nearly rejected by the people, as six out of a possible eight could not make it in the 2024 General Election. The BDP only got two councillors, with the ruling Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) dominating with a majority of councillors.

Motaosane will always have a tough time effectively controlling the constituency as the UDC controls majority of the wards on the other hand, effectively giving them control of the village. Already, there are reports that the MP does not “consult” effectively with the civic leaders, majority of whom are not from his party.

His constituents credit him for his approachability and commitment to his constituents, often attending social gatherings in the Thamaga/Kumakwane area. Overall, the maverick legislator’s dedication to his active participation in parliamentary proceedings has earned him a notable position within the BDP.

His strength in the National Assembly can be inferred from his past performance and interactions with his constituents. Some of his key strengths include his posture as a people person. He is known for being approachable and connecting with people on a personal level, which has earned him a strong reputation in Thamaga/Kumakwane.

To his people, he has shown dedication to his role, even when serving as a backbencher, where he actively participated in parliamentary committees and served his constituents. He is admired for never forgetting his roots and where he comes from, which has contributed to his popularity amongst voters.

As an MP, he has made notable contributions to the National Assembly through his debates and advocacy. Some key highlights of his work include agricultural development, where he has emphasised the importance of transforming the agricultural sector, citing its potential for job creation and economic growth.

He commended the government’s efforts to increase the agricultural development budget and urged for more infrastructure projects, such as access roads to production centres to support farmers.

He has also advocated for increased funding for the Youth Development Fund, suggesting that the quota for beneficiaries in constituencies be raised from 20 to 50 per funding cycle. This, he believes, would empower more young people to start businesses and contribute to the economy. He has also been highlighting the issue of uneven development across regions, noting that his constituency lacked projects under the Transition National Development Plan. He also urged the government to establish policy imperatives to narrow urban-rural socio-economic disparities. His ability to engage in constructive debates and advocate for change has earned him recognition in the National Assembly.His belligerent debating style has often landed him in trouble, earning him the wrath of the Parliament presiding officer(s) and his peers. He was previously involved in a brouhaha with fellow MPs such as Ignatius Moswaane, which was seen as unprofessional by some.

The worst to hit Motaosane was after a heated exchange with the Deputy Speaker, Helen Manyeneng. The maverick legislator had stood his ground, accusing the Deputy Speaker of bias against the opposition. It did not end well as he was kicked out of the House for “disrespecting” the Deputy Speaker in defence of “unwarranted” treatment of what he had termed the BDP four.

“You are pressing the wrong button. I will take you head on,” shouted Motaosane, whose argument at the time was that he was not going to be bullied in Parliament.

Quizzed this week on whether he personally had a weakness of a bad temper, Motaosane presented himself as a level-headed politician who also respects his peers across the aisle.

“Personally, if you know me, I am a fair and open character often on the quiet side of things,” he said. He emphasised that he tolerates other people, including fellow MPs.

“If my temper boils, it would be the culmination of provoking activities. Take, for example, the character of MP Moswaane, who would provoke the opposition MPs to the extent of labelling the entire BDP MPs as thugs.

That was a no! no!”

He says it was after some time that he took aim at Moswaane and spewed out the diatribe that blasted him, sparking a heated exchange in the House. He concurs that sometimes he gets carried away and retaliates.

About his exchange with the Deputy Speaker, Manyeneng, Motaosane says he took aim at her and poured out his concerns with the intention of correcting what he saw as an unnecessary bias.

“The Deputy Speaker went out of her jurisdiction and sparked the unnecessary furore which I could not stomach as a politician.”

He explains that he had raised a point of order requesting the Deputy Speaker to protect the minority opposition (BDP MPs) from the abuse of the ruling party MPs.

Despite the rumpus that broke out on the floor of the National Assembly, “I don’t get easily annoyed. I also respect others and protect fellow MPs”.

He, however, conceded that sometimes he raises his voice a lot, and some people could mistake him for a temperamental character. He also insists that for the benefit of the House, he had to take the Deputy Speaker head-on in protest of the manner she conducted the business of the day.

Today, Motaosane claims he holds no grudges against anyone, but his posture is to fight all the injustices that disrupt him from serving the people who have voted for him in large numbers in the 2024 General Election.

He is not married, but he has a son. He is also a staunch Christian and a member of the UCCSA.

UDC councillor for Thamaga South, Lawrence Gaorutwe, recently wrote in the village WhatsApp group about the MP, “I have always found it amusing how Motaosane refers to me as nephew, and how I often feel tempted to call him uncle. Our only true link is that we both trace our roots to the common lands at Majwaneng. But, beyond that light-hearted familiarity, there is something I have long admired in him.”

He reminisced that from the days he served under the then ruling party as a councillor, “I noticed the way he articulated issues, measured, insightful, and always hinting at a deeper urge to speak out”.

He added that at times it felt as though certain conditions of the era restrained him when his party did something he was against; every so often, he would reveal flashes of a man contemplating a bold departure.”

Now that Motaosane sits in the opposition benches, Gaorutwe observes that the restraint has vanished.

“He has become brutally honest, refreshingly frank, and unmistakably original in his contributions. And let us be clear: this kind of fearless scrutiny is essential in keeping any governing body on its toes.” “This is what genuine checks and balances look like in practice,” says Gaorutwe. He finds it important to give Motaosane his flowers while he can still smell them, adding that his contribution is undeniable.

In summation, the councillor said: “All in all, Motaosane if I were to describe him, I would describe him as a man of resolute conviction, often steadfast to the point where shifting his perspective proves an arduous task.

When confronted with dissenting views, he can become visibly discomposed, interpreting opposition as an affront rather than an invitation to reconsider.”

Yet, paradoxically, Gaorutwe insists, “he possesses an extraordinary grasp of community dynamics, he humbles himself to the level of ordinary folk, speaks their language with ease, and blends seamlessly with almost everyone.”

The MP’s ability to connect with people from all walks of life is both admirable and disarming, even when his immovable stance on certain matters remains a defining trait. Whilst Gaorutwe concedes that he works well with Motaosane, although he is a UDC operative, he has noted something that worries him about his MP lately.

“He is not open to discussions and always wants his word to be final. He will have his preference, and we have ours,” Gaorutwe bemoaned the uncomfortable development.

Another UDC councillor, Shorter Molaakgosi for Thamaga North, hails Motaosane for articulating well the issues of villagers in Parliament.

He was, however, worried that there seemed to be no proper cohesion between him and the opposition councillors. In the beginning, Motaosane did a good job by meeting all the councillors and expressing his willingness to work with them. He is worried by the MP’s tendency to criticise them openly during village meetings. Molaakgosi wishes they could be closely engaged in village developments as a collective.

Whilst some people and some UDC councillors in particular call the differences with their MP as tension, Motaosane says he wouldn’t call it tension, but concedes: “it’s just a misunderstanding”.