Segokgo: Surviving the inexorable confronts
Ryder Gabathuse | Thursday April 9, 2026 09:30
There was a time when another colleague, Arts & Culture coordinator Goitsemodimo Kaelo, instigated Segokgo and Kolantsho to pose for a picture to prove the point about the duo’s resemblance. Do they really look alike? That’s a topic for another day. This week, we feature the outspoken Tlokweng legislator Segokgo in the Know Your MP weekly political feature, and we look at his journey, which began in 2003 when he completed his Form 5 at Naledi Senior Secondary School and joined the then-ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP). It’s been a long journey with ups and downs. He concedes that turbulence is inevitable in any political journey. What is important, he emphasises, is how one survives the inexorable confrontations.
Segokgo has been a leader since his childhood. He was a school head boy at Matlala Junior Secondary School and later served as a Student Representative Council president at Naledi Senior Secondary School in Gaborone. “So, I will say I have been doing these leadership roles from a tender age. Maybe I got interested because of my family being in politics, I don’t know,” he tells Mmegi. He insists he looked up to the late former president of the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD), Gomolemo Motswaledi, and Vice President and Minister of Finance, Ndaba Gaolathe. “They really aided me in this journey, and Ndaba is still playing that mentorship role hitherto.” Segokgo, who was a councillor previously, enjoyed the five years he spent serving the people at that level until constituents felt he should serve them better in a higher role as a legislator in the 2024 General Election. So, he got the nudge and contested. “I also felt the same way, but the council is also an important institution in the development of the country, more especially local communities.
” He thinks his background serving on the council helped him a lot, as did his background in Political Science. Also, the Vice President, Gaolathe, is ensuring that all his deliberations in Parliament are shaped to align with the vision, so these three factors are helping him. Segokgo is an alumnus of the University of Botswana, where he read Political Science and Public Administration. He also holds a certificate in Public Finance Management and Leadership and Governance. The 42-year-old politician lost the elections in 2019 and in between he just did community work in Tlokweng where he served as a board chairperson in ‘I am Special Society’ a member society of Botswana Society for the Disabled. He also did some leadership courses and enrolled in a Master’s programme during that period.
Minister of Sports and Arts Jacob Kelebeng hails Segokgo as a level-headed leader well-versed in national issues. “He is a grassroots politician who has gone through all structures of politics and understands all the dynamics of the political terrain,” Kelebeng says about Segokgo. Kelebeng had an opportunity to work under him (Segokgo) as a youth league president at the BMD, and the Tlokweng MP proved to be a good brother for years. Another UDC legislator (Molepolole North), Arafat Khan, says he has known Segokgo for over a decade now.
They first met around the time the BMD was formed while Khan was already active in the Youth League of the Botswana National Front (BNF). “He deeply respected the leadership and vision of the late Motswaledi and former MP Botsalo Ntuane, and I personally played a role in recruiting him to the BNF following the split within the BMD,” says MP Khan. Khan describes Segokgo as a humble, disciplined and promising politician. He adds, “He is not the type to be easily shaken or intimidated; he is a strong character”. Quizzed about the differences between the council and Parliament, Segokgo finds the duo to be fundamentally important. He, however, finds the council to be closer to the people, and one gets so intimate with them on a daily basis, through a lot of community work on the ground. On the other hand, Parliament deals more with technical matters of law, such as Acts, policies, and the development process, especially when debating the State of the Nation Address and the Budget Speech.
He became the chairperson of the South East District Council (SEDC) in 2014, representing the UDC. Now, he serves in a senior capacity as the MP for Tlokweng, focusing on issues such as land disputes, infrastructure development, and economic growth. Some key highlights of his tenure include advocating for Tlokweng’s development. He has pushed for maximising Tlokweng’s economic potential, citing its proximity to Gaborone and population of 59,000. He proposed introducing tollgates, creating a dry port, and developing the Notwane River area to enhance the economic standing of the peri-urban village. He’s raised concerns about overwhelmed healthcare facilities, poor school infrastructure, and inadequate stormwater drainage systems. In one of his debates, Segokgo has questioned the Botswana Public Officers Pension Fund’s (BPOPF) selection of asset managers with alleged political ties, seeking clarity on potential conflicts of interest. He has been actively contributing to parliamentary debates, focusing on issues that impact his constituency and the nation. He has argued that budget deficits shouldn’t be viewed as failures, but rather as opportunities for growth, emphasising the need for robust fiscal and monetary policies.
He has also pushed for transparency in government spending, calling for a detailed breakdown of allocations for rehabilitating schools, health facilities, and roads. The MP has advocated for maintaining roads in Tlokweng, particularly those overwhelmed by heavy trucks, and proposed introducing tollgates to support road maintenance. He has also emphasised Tlokweng’s economic potential, highlighting the need for improved healthcare facilities and school infrastructure, citing the overwhelmed Mafitlhakgosi Clinic and the dilapidated school facilities. In an endeavour to mitigate youth unemployment, the UDC MP has proposed establishing employment bureaus across constituencies to absorb graduates and unemployed youth, aligning with the goal of creating 500,000 jobs by 2030.
The turning point of Segokgo’s political career was when he was chosen to lead the Youth League of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC). It gave him an opportunity to show the world what he is capable of. He considers representing the people in Parliament as a bit complex because they got in when the economy is ailing, and so they have to manage expectations on the ground at the same time, ensuring that they deliver their promises. “There is hope of economic rebound, so I think our promises will be fulfilled,” he said optimistically. As an MP for a peri-urban Tlokweng, he meets his people frequently through conventional methods like kgotla meetings in the wards, but they have also developed new approaches, such as online meetings, and “we are using our social media platforms to reach out to them”.
The MP does not miss any activity in Tlokweng so that he is in touch with his constituents, be it weddings, funerals, football games, and other events. They have specific age-group meetings, such as youth and elders, so it’s not a difficult task for them at all. Tlokweng has a big issue with stormwater drainage, but they managed to raise some funds to kick-start the project. Youth unemployment is a big issue, and they have started youth programmes in the constituency, training them in various fields to prepare them for the job market. “At the macro level, I am also coming up with youth policies that will address this problem. There is another issue of land question, and we are reviewing the development plan so that we allocate land to residents.” The BNF is proving popular in Tlokweng, although it didn’t do well in 2019 under the UDC banner. Segokgo acknowledges that the previous BNF leaders in Tlokweng inculcated the BNF culture in the constituency and planted a seed of the party ideology in the village.
So, the roots of BNF in Tlokweng are spread across the village. “Currently, the members are working hard on a daily basis to recruit members into the party that’s why the party is very strong in the constituency,” he says. Segokgo is upbeat that his party message in Tlokweng is very clear and it resonates well with the masses, especially the youth. They easily identify themselves with the councillors in various wards. Given the amount of work his team continues to put in Tlokweng, Segokgo is confident the BNF will retain the constituency come the 2029 General Election. He is adamant that they are doing everything they can to avoid complacency and work very hard on the ground. They have to communicate well with the people even when they experience challenges.
Tlokweng’s proximity to Gaborone is a major advantage, offering easy access to the capital city’s amenities, attractions and transportation network. This proximity makes Tlokweng an attractive location for residential and commercial development, with many people drawn to the area for its unique blend of traditional and modern lifestyles. Tlokweng’s close proximity to Gaborone makes it an ideal spot for businesses, with many residents commuting to the capital for work. Residents can easily access Gaborone’s healthcare, education and shopping facilities.
However, among the noted disadvantages are traffic congestion, pressure on local infrastructure, and environmental concerns. If Botswana’s economy recovers tomorrow, Segokgo’s wish list would, amongst others, include pushing for land servicing and the construction of a hospital and a senior secondary school.
He stresses that Tlokweng’s proximity to Gaborone is both advantageous and disadvantageous. He cited the pressure from Gaborone, as people prefer staying in Tlokweng because of low rentals, emphasizing that it now challenges the Batlokwa to provide them with services and population concentrations. He concedes that the main advantage is economic growth, as the city is benefiting them with job opportunities not far from the village. Tlokweng is part of the Greater Gaborone plan, and to him, this is an advantage because some developments will come to Tlokweng. One worrying development is the intense pressure on land allocation in Tlokweng, with the waiting list Segokgo claiming stands at around 62,000, and the village, essentially, surrounded by the city, farms, and the South African border on the eastern side.
This has hampered the village’s development. Over the next 10 years, Segokgo says they are pushing for another review, and the Land Board is on the verge of allocating 1,600 plots in Sefoke, hopefully by the end of the year. The MP has been enjoying massive support from his family members who have been leading by example by rallying behind their man. “My siblings are supportive in my political journey, so, I have a very strong support structure.”
In his leisure time, the legislator takes part in marathons for community support and for his fitness. He is also an avid fanatic of the English Premier League outfit Gunners of London (Arsenal). In his constituency he used to support Tlokweng Red Sparks but because of his role as an MP, now he supports all Tlokweng teams without any bias. He is also Catholic.