Ramaotwana: Rechristened Nelson in honour of Mandela
Ryder Gabathuse | Friday June 19, 2026 10:29
“When I grew up from primary school, I ensured that I played the role of Nelson Mandela in school drama and other extra-curricular activities as I admired the man’s posture as a freedom fighter who successfully defeated apartheid together with dedicated South Africans,” Ramaotwana tells Mmegi in an interview this week.
Ramaotwana reminisced about how his parents were shocked to see their son’s name, Nelson, on his Primary School Leaving Examination certificate for the first time. It was then that the young Ramaotwana, now legislator for Gaborone South and Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, explained his choice and preference of the name to his parents.
This was the beginning of Ramaotwana’s closest interaction with politics, which started early in his life at primary school.
He knew politics was the only vocation that would let him speak his mind and make a difference for the better. His other role models include Joe Slovo, Kwame Nkrumah, Chris Hani, Karl Marx and others.
He made special mention of President Duma Boko, whom he credits as a man of his word. Boko is Ramaotwana’s role model, as he finds him principled and committed, and he also oozes Marxist and Leninist tendencies.
From his home region of Semitwe’s Mosu and Marapong, Ramaotwana was a staunch supporter of Daniel Kwele’s Botswana Progressive Union (BPU).
It was his father’s party as well. At the tender age of 12, the young Ramaotwana had already joined other young people in the party’s choirs, where they innocently sang and danced for crowds that included their parents and relatives.
It was easy to be a regular at the political rallies, as it was entertaining and informative to listen to politicians articulating issues that affected their villages and the poor peasants.
Around 1982/84, Ramaotwana found himself following Kwele and his troops in the villages of Mosu, Mokubilo and others, together with some of his primary school teachers, following the rallies. He concedes that Kwele was a man who literally wowed people at his political rallies, as he would bring along traditional Hosanna dancers that kept people entertained throughout his trips.
Ramaotwana grew up under the care of his parents, and his father was a friend of Kwele, the BPU leader and founder. His father and some of his peers were actually organisers of Kwele. At just 12 years, Ramaotwana was an activist.
Ramaotwana saw his political awareness growing around 1986/87/88. That is after his elder brother, who was a student at Molepolole College of Education (MCE), supplied him with literature on the Botswana National Front (BNF). That was when Ramaotwana started reading literature authored by the founding party president, Dr Kenneth Koma, such as Seforanta ke eng and Pamphlet Number One, among others. “My interest in the BNF grew from strength to strength, and my brother encouraged me to dump the BPU and focus on the BNF, and I obliged. Since 1988, to date, I have been a staunch BNF member,” he explains. In 1991, when Ramaotwana was admitted to Mater Spei College in Francistown for his secondary education, he rubbed shoulders with then-party veterans like Vain Mamela, who mentored him and gave him the requisite exposure.
“I was so lucky that upon arrival in Francistown, I got guidance from the likes of Mamela, who was coordinating Francistown West constituency. I joined them and would later be appointed the ward secretary for Somerset West.” At that time, he was only doing Form 3.
He remembers vividly, then Botswana Peoples Party (BPP) councillor Motlatsi Molapise, remarking that he was seeing some stubborn BNF young boys doing errands in his ward. When he later served his national service, or Tirelo Sechaba, in Digawana village near Lobatse, Ramaotwana gained further exposure to BNF diehards like Nehemiah Modubule in Lobatse, and others who further strengthened his political beliefs.
When he was admitted to the University of Botswana (UB), Ramaotwana never had difficulties finding a political home, as he already had the BNF as his unshakeable home. He later joined BNF MASS, where he would join his like-minded politicians. When the BNF split and gave birth to the Botswana Congress Party (BCP), there was a contestation of ideas at the UB, with BNF MASS and the BCP youth trading counter-propaganda campaigns. He and the late Kingdom Ipotseng launched a massive campaign against the newly formed BCP. In 1995, when Ramaotwana, who was pursuing Sciences, discontinued his studies at varsity, he was employed by Standard Chartered Bank and placed in Francistown. He would later try his luck in the ward primaries at Block 2-6 and was not successful, losing by only two votes; however, he was hopeful that he should keep on trying. His political interest is evident in his taking on youth positions, first as BNF Francistown youth secretary and later as chairperson.
Thirsty for education, Ramaotwana would, in the year 2000, return to the UB to further his studies, whereupon he enrolled in his first year of law school. In 2001, he was elected Student Representative Council (SRC) president, and in 2004, he was re-elected to the SRC. He also won ward elections and would later advance to become Gaborone mayor. He wore many hats. In 2008, Ramaotwana, after completing his law degree, joined the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) as a prosecutor from 2009 to 2016, then joined Kambai Attorneys before setting up Ramaotwana Attorneys.
Post the 2024 General Election, Ramaotwana suspended his law firm practice due to his new role as an MP and Minister of Justice and Correctional Services.
His political journey has seen him change roles many times, including at the BNF Youth League and at the main party. He has been the mayor, president of BNFYL, deputy secretary general of BNF, and held other roles in the party.
He is elated that the Gaborone South constituency is back with the BNF after a brief period under the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP). He is convinced that the reign of the BNF philosopher-king and founding leader, Kenneth Koma, who was an MP from 1984 to 2004, had planted an influential seed in the area.
“If elections can be called tomorrow, the BNF is ready anytime. We can win it,” Ramaotwana said convincingly.
Although Ramaotwana is so much in love with politics as a vocation, when he started his career at the UB, he wanted to study to become a medical doctor, quantity surveyor, or civil engineer, but he couldn’t succeed. He describes his Cabinet role as a full-time function that, however, doesn’t keep him from mingling with constituents, as that is where his bread is buttered.
“I am so used to it that every day when I leave my office, I go straight to the people and literally feel their pulse. I cry with those who are crying and laugh with those who are laughing.” He adds: “Look, I used to juggle between my SRC president role, Mayoral function, student role and others and yet there was never any disruption.”
In his constituency, there is only one BCP councillor, whom Ramaotwana says is part of his team and with whom he works well.
He attributes his political growth to the likes of the BNF’s founding father, Koma, Obonetse Menyatso, Mareledi Giddie, and others, who inspired him to soldier on, as politics has its ups and downs.
He remembers former BNF president Otsweletse Moupo for his moving debate at the UB, in which he argued that the BNF was ready to govern. He was accompanied by the late Paul Rantao.
Ramaotwana has strong support in his political career from his family members. He is, however, worried that his constituents are currently bedevilled by joblessness, especially the young people. Crime is also another worrying development, especially since young people are involved in habit-forming drugs.
Through the constituency development trust, Ramaotwana is hopeful that, together with his people, they will source funds from many quarters and implement projects that will address problems in his constituency.
Ramaotwana is a staunch member of the Zion Christian Church, which he says does not conflict with his political beliefs, as a church, like politics, has striking similarities in addressing people-centred issues.
Ramaotwana is credited with launching a dedicated commercial court division to expedite business disputes and attract investment.
He has also been pushing to restructure magistracy courts to reduce case backlogs. As an attorney by profession, he has been pushing for issues such as the autonomy of the DPP, which he proposed delinking from the Attorney General’s Chambers. His view has been that the DPP needs its own budget and resources. His strong point is that the DPP often runs out of funds mid-year when funded through the AG. Since the Duma Boko-led UDC government places emphasis on human rights, Ramaotwana has been advocating for strengthening rehabilitation to ensure ex-convicts reintegrate well into society after serving their time.
Ramaotwana is also a strong proponent of the envisaged Constitutional Court, which he contends is long overdue in an endeavour to strengthen the judiciary.
Chairperson of the Tutume District Council and former national organising secretary of the BNF, Tabona Masole, hails Ramaotwana as a great leader and visionary who is well-read in BNF literature and in the politics of the left generally.
He says what makes Ramaotwana well-rounded is that he has gone through most of the party levels, from ward up to the position of Deputy Secretary General of the main party. “You will remember the time he was a UB student and juggled as both the SRC president, councillor and a mayor,” says Masole. “He is a humble leader and can engage you the whole day. Once he loses a contested position, he accepts and respects the new leadership.”
Masole concludes by adding that Ramaotwana can fit well into any upper leadership role, given his extensive knowledge of politics and life in general.
Former Francistown West Legislator Vain Mamela acknowledges taking Ramaotwana and others through the basics of BNF politics in opposition at the time. He was particularly impressed by the zeal and enthusiasm that the young Ramaotwana oozed.
“He was young at the time, but he attended party meetings religiously, showing willingness to learn, and I am not surprised that he has grown so much politically. He has earned it.”
Mamela, remember that it was at Somerset (wa ga Bokowe) where he saw the young Ramaotwana doing house-to-house chores, selling the BNF’s politics.
Mamela was able to pick that Rmaotwana promised to add value in his future endeavours in politics, generally.