Pule: Facing your nemesis on on the other side of the aisle
Ryder Gabathuse | Thursday May 21, 2026 09:29
“Can you imagine facing the same people who were against your party and government and now in power?” maverick politician Pule, who leads the minority party (BDP) with a deriding moniker of ‘Fours’ in Parliament, describes the atmosphere that prevails in the National Assembly.
Pule, however, consoles himself that, in the same 12th Parliament, the current Environment and Tourism Minister Wynter Mmolotsi was a lone wolf within his primary party, the Alliance for Progressives (AP), in a Parliament dominated by the BDP.
“We are four in the 13th Parliament and three of us were in the previous Cabinet, and from the backbench, Palelo Motaosane, MP for Thamaga-Kumakwane, who is also a strong debater, is with us,” Pule tells Mmegi. Others include Kagiso Mmusi and Karabo Gare.
Pule and his team are grateful that they continue to give their very best, drawing on the experience they gained in the 12th Parliament. He is adamant that his party may have lost the overall elections but came second with a popular vote of about 30%. He is hopeful that they will definitely bounce back in the 2029 General Election. “Come 2029, we are going to bounce back as that is our greatest goal at the moment,” he emphasised.
When other politicians, one way or another, were inspired by their relatives and certain politicians to ply their trade in politics, Pule has no one in particular in the political space he looks up to for inspiration.
“To be honest with you, there was never anyone within my family line who was involved in politics that I can claim really inspired me,” he paused and added, “ I was recruited into politics by party elders, amongst others, former president Mokgweetsi Masisi, based on my personal character and my abilities after running the Department of Immigration for almost nine years successfully”. Pule would later also serve as the director of the National Civil Registration for two years.
“Look, party elders were able to see that I am a person whose image was not tainted,” he says. Upon retiring from the public service, Pule focused on farming, which he says is now paying some of his bills. He is not only whiling away his time but has also invested his time and his fortune. He has a family to fend for, and agriculture is where his heart is.
He has yet to serve in party structures, as upon retirement from the public service, he went straight into campaigning for a parliamentary seat.
Pule’s mother, who never progressed with her education, was the MP’s role model. The old woman always wanted her son to get the best education and be successful in life. She was never disappointed as her wish was finally granted.
“She encouraged me to pursue my education with vigour so that I can, in turn, lead a good life.” Kgatleng-East is riddled with multiple developmental challenges, including a persistent shortage of medication and the long-standing construction of a hospital to serve the River villages of Mmathubudukwane, Sikwane, Mabalane, and others that desperately need improved health services. They still commute some distance to access services in the neighbouring Mochudi, which is also overwhelmed by the villages surrounding it.
Poor road infrastructure is another worrying challenge for Pule, who is concerned that almost all the major roads linking the villages are a terrible disappointment, with multiple potholes and a serious safety hazard for road users.
Gare, Moshupa-Manyana legislator, met Pule in 2018 when he retired from the public service. The duo has been close since. Gare credits Pule as an experienced politician whose presence adds value to the BDP shrunken caucus of four-party men.
“He’s got a lot of experience in political matters, which I think works for him politically. In 2019, his campaigns were rewarded with victory in his constituency, ousting Umbrella for Democratic Change’s sitting MP.” To him, it’s not by fluke that Pule won the 2024 tightly contested polls.
“He is an enthusiastic and robust debater. His strength has energised the BDP team in Parliament to take the majority of UDC MPs head-on. The ‘Fours’ are elated that, so far, they have been able to hold the UDC government to account for its actions without fear or favour.
Gare considers Pule the backbone of the BDP team, which is why they chose him to lead the minority team.
“He is always the one who lays the foundation and the rest follow,” Gare is the BDP chairperson, but on the floor of Parliament, Pule is his boss.
Gare says he finds it pleasant to work with Pule, as he seems to have a lot to offer the country. His experience has been a source of strength that has aided the BDP team in Parliament in stabilising.
Pule acknowledges that it was not easy to run a people’s service department like Immigration, “but I must appreciate the opportunity that I had to serve the government at that time.
I gathered a lot of exposure on security, governance, managing and serving people”. While he was at the Immigration department, he had the opportunity to rub shoulders with big people, including the former president Masisi and other world leaders. He developed a lot of confidence and knowledge to serve people.
Kgatleng East constituents seem to have found their man in Pule and attribute the whole thing to hard work and his willingness to avail himself to the voters.
“They actually call me a countryman! I am indeed a countryman because during my tenure I managed to bring local electricity, fibre optic networks; they long wanted Modipane - Mabalane road and many other projects.
I want to believe that my voters have great hope on me. I am telling you that UDC government does not threaten the BDP in Kgatleng-East and we will bring back the constituency in 2029,” he oozed confidence.
As a young man who grew up in a poor rural family, he aspired to become one of the best in the country and to work with his people to develop the communities into a marvel.
The only party that he has ever known was the BDP. To be an MP or a politician, he insists, is not an easy thing.
“You have to be involved in all aspects of life, including attending community events like funerals, and you contribute to the support of the people. You have to read current affairs and make sure you have smart people around you for proper counsel and support,” he points out.
Pule works with councillors from the ruling party, the Botswana Congress Party (BCP), but has no problem working with them.
“Almost all of them (councillors) are my relatives and friends.
Actually, immediately after becoming an MP, I called them to consult and plan with them on how to proceed. I shared my strategic project plan with them. Our focus was on what we have to achieve as a constituency and not politics,” he emphasised. In the previous Parliament, Pule was Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development.
He also held the position of Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly (2019-2021). The remainder of his stay in Parliament, he was the Assistant Minister. Pule has been active on issues like food sovereignty and local infrastructure projects in Kgatleng-East. His contribution to the parliamentary debate has mainly been on local government, rural development, agriculture, infrastructure and governance. He has repeatedly raised poor roads and infrastructure in Kgatleng East, specifically calling for upgrades to roads linking Modipane-Sikwane and Bokaa-Kopong.
He has also pushed for a district hospital for Kgatleng and flagged challenges with water and electricity supply in his constituency.
One of his greatest frustrations has been the stalled Modipane- Mabalane road project, saying the court battle between Tau Grading and the development manager was putting lives at risk due to dangerous road conditions.
As the leader of a minority in Parliament, he responded to the State-Of-the-Nation (SONA), calling for constructive engagement, not just criticism.
He also advised strengthening the DCEC but stressed the need for its effectiveness and impartiality to fight corruption.
Pule supported constitutional reforms alongside civil servants’ reforms, saying his party was ready to contribute constructively.
Pule’s political strength in the National Assembly is derived from the reality that, as the minority leader, he has framed the BDP’s role as engaging constructively rather than just criticising.
He has also been pushing for a truly independent Parliament where the National Assembly will not operate at the mercy of the Executive.
Although the UDC majority overwhelms his party, Pule has been seen as technically grounded and has been trying to keep his debate well set.