Dikoloti: A master schemer yet to lose a political battle

Ryder Gabathuse | Monday January 19, 2026 09:36

 

Dikoloti PIC: KENNEDY RAMOKONE

The name Beulah, a slogan adopted by Dikoloti often spelled as Bilah, is derived from Hebrew origins, primarily meaning God is my vow. The name encapsulates a sense of commitment and dedication, reflecting a relationship of faith and devotion.

The metaphysical meaning of Beulah is the rich and happy state of the individual who has entered into conscious union with the divine, or one in whom the marriage of the lamb has taken place. When he was put on trial by his party, the event raised him to heroism of some sort. The masses rallied behind him in protest, elevating him to the highest level, to the chagrin of the party leadership, who watched in disbelief as people turned against the BDP en masse.

Dikoloti was accused of sowing seeds of discord through this Beulah song by the BDP head honchos. But he was least rattled by the indictments as the constituents stood with him through that darkest hour. When people saw the end of a promising political career, the man with a frozen smile on his face maintained his jovialness. He trusted the people.

At some stage, former president Mokgweetsi Masisi indicated that the decision taken by the BDP to drop Dikoloti and appoint the former Minister of Finance, Peggy Serame, as the party’s parliamentary candidate for the Goodhope-Mmathethe constituency at the 2024 polls was fair and just as per the party’s constitution. What he failed to say was the opinion of the people, as they chose to defy the party leadership on this one.

BDP witnessed one of its dramatic Bulela Ditswe (primary elections) when the outright winner Dikoloti was tossed aside to give way to the preferred candidate Serame.

Dikoloti decided to approach the court for reinstatement, which he later frustratingly withdrew. He chose to trust the people across the length and breadth of the constituency who had promised to rally behind his course.

Those in the know claim the seasoned agriculturist-cum-politician Dikoloti’s political notice was amongst others elicited by his chumminess with Masisi, with whom he reportedly fondly inoculated his herd of cattle at the former president’s farm. To the Lorwana-born politician, as they say, the rest is history. He must have been frustrated to the core that the architect of a plot to unseat him from the constituency was the very man who had offered a helping hand in launching his political career. He chose defiance in defence of a political journey that had already gained momentum. He was in the Masisi-led Cabinet as the Minister of Health at the time he was deposed. The BDP might have been deceived by the people that swapping Dikoloti for Serame would be a wise move until the whole affair was blasted in the face of the party’s head honchos.

Dikoloti hit the ground running as a surprise package in the 2019 General Election. He would later shock his colleague, Dr Alfred Madigela, who at the time was the legislator for the then Mmathethe-Molapowabojang constituency and also Minister of Health, when he easily toppled him from the constituency.

This was one of the internal BDP elections’ major upsets at the time as the party readied itself for the General Election. In his first-ever election results, he did not disappoint at all as the difference between his party and others was emphatic after garnering 12,069 votes. Dr Prince Dibeela of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) got a distant 5350, whilst Themba Tadubana got a negligible 505 votes under the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) banner. This good performance should have cemented Dikoloti’s political belief in his personal strength and as a team player.

To further demonstrate his mettle and resilience, in the 2024 General Election, Dikoloti again emphatically won the newly re-christened Goodhope-Mmathethe parliamentary seat as an independent candidate, securing 12,294 votes by thumping his former party, the BDP, candidate Peggy Serame, who had garnered 7,143 votes.

This victory marked a significant upset, as Dikoloti, who ran under the Wena Beulah banner after being rejected by the BDP in favour of Serame, despite winning the party’s primary election. This win also made him the second independent candidate to represent a constituency in Botswana, following Nehemiah Modubule’s victory in 2009.

In his early 40s, Dikoloti’s significance as a Cabinet Minister lies in his role as the Assistant Minister of Lands and Agriculture, a position he’s held since November 2024. His appointment by President Duma Boko underscores his importance in shaping the country’s agricultural policies and addressing pressing issues like food security. Since the passing of the former substantive Minister of Agriculture and Lands, Micus Chimbombi, last year, Dikoloti has been in charge of the ministry on acting basis.

He is a seasoned agriculturalist in both regulatory and retail, a veterinary surgeon by training. He graduated from the University of Queensland (Australia) with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science and was further awarded Honours in Veterinary Science.

Before joining politics, Dikoloti was one of the leading consultants in the private sector and played a vital role in the establishment and development of different animal production value chains in Botswana, notably the dairy, beef and poultry sectors.

He has served on different boards of directors and committees, and he is a strong advocate for One Health. He has rich knowledge in strategy development, change management, advocacy and stakeholder management.



He has contributed immensely to the growth and development of animal health and production, having previously worked in the public service and the private sector for almost 12 years.

An enthusiastic community development mobiliser, Dikoloti has and continues to dedicate his life to serving, unearthing, developing, and promoting creative arts within various rural communities. Over the years, he has pioneered and transformed various sports tourism initiatives.

Dikoloti’s experience as a former Minister of Health and his advocacy for infrastructure development, such as the Jwaneng/Maokane road, demonstrate his commitment to improving Botswana’s infrastructure and healthcare systems.

His admission that the current arrangement for appointing Land Board members is not optimal highlights his willingness to address challenges head-on.

As a minister, Dikoloti is hailed to have played a key role in pushing for modernisation and investment in the sector, advocating for road construction and maintenance, serving as Minister of Health and focusing on the country’s health sector.

Assistant Minister of Lands and Agriculture, Dikoloti, has been working on several initiatives to boost Botswana’s agricultural sector. Some of his key policies and work include focuses on efficient irrigation systems, sustainable water harvesting technologies, and precision agriculture to optimize resource use and maximise productivity; prioritising youth with approved agricultural projects in land allocations and creating a dedicated department of partnerships to help young farmers access funding opportunities; promoting agro-industrial clusters to support small-scale farmers, especially women, in building successful agribusinesses through training, infrastructure, and market linkages.

He is also promoting collaboration with international development institutions like Green Climate Fund, GIZ, and IFAD to advance water development and restore Botswana’s rangelands; seeking stakeholder input to modernise agriculture, drive sustainable economic transformation, and address climate change, rising production costs, and sectoral challenges.

He has also emphasised the importance of research, development, and adopting new technologies to improve productivity, resilience, and competitiveness in Botswana’s agricultural sector.

On the political front, Dikoloti is part of the UDC-led government as an Assistant Minister in the President Boko-led government, but he is not yet a member of any party that makes up the UDC coalition, which comprises of Botswana National Front (BNF), Alliances for Progressives (AP) and Botswana Peoples Party (BPP). The UDC also has a gentleman’s agreement with the opposition Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF).

When Dikoloti and his Cabinet colleague, Assistant Minister for State President, Defence and Security Maipelo Mophuting (Now Dikoloti), wedded last December, a wedding celebration dubbed the ‘Wedding of the Year’, speculation was rife that the move could bring Dikoloti closer to the wife’s party (UDC) as he is already one foot in. It, however, remains to be seen what the future really holds for Dikoloti, who was given a new lease on political life by the partisan Goodhope-Mmathethe constituents at the 2024 General Election. This union, the first of its kind in the country, has the potential to alter Dikoloti’s political identity. Given the power of a woman in a man’s world, it’s only a matter of time before we witness the actual change.