BNF mourns benign, fearless Akambakamba
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Friday September 11, 2026 12:29
Although the fallen councillor spent much of her time in Gaborone Central, where she contested the Notwane Ward in the 2009 and 2019 elections, her political influence extended far beyond the constituency. For decades, she was regarded as one of the party’s iconic activists and a steadfast defender of its ideals and aspirations. Her contribution to the BNF was also reflected in her service on the party’s central committee. Akambakamba also served as an additional member under successive BNF presidents, including founding president, the late Dr Kenneth Koma, Otsweletse Moupo and Duma Boko. However, after the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) won the 2024 General Election and formed government, she opted out of the BNF central committee. By then, Akambakamba had already spent decades in the trenches of opposition politics, earning the respect of generations of activists who regarded her as a political mother and mentor. What distinguished Akambakamba from the crowd was her willingness to stand her ground. She belonged to a generation of BNF activists who were prepared to endure political difficulties and make personal sacrifices for what they believed was a just cause.
Indeed, some members affectionately referred to such committed activists as “Maforanta” cadres who were prepared to remain loyal to the front even during its most difficult periods. A cadre forged in struggle For many of her comrades, Akambakamba’s political legacy cannot be separated from the difficult years of opposition politics in Botswana. Mohammed Khan describes her as a “hard-working, outspoken, committed and brave revolutionary fighter” whose political credentials were forged during some of the BNF’s most challenging years. According to Khan, Akambakamba proved herself at a time of prominent BNF figures such as Koma, Maitshwarelo Dabutha,Paul Rantao, Joseph Kavindama and Gilson Saleshando. Khan recalls the period of the BNF’s pact with Botswana Alliance Movement (BAM) as part of the political environment in which she operated. Those, he says, were difficult years for opposition activists, who faced what he described as intense political pressure from the then ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP). Khan argues that the BNF’s survival was partly due to cadres who refused to abandon the organisation despite the difficulties confronting it. “Comrade Akambakamba stood straight and spoke out and campaigned going house to house,” Khan recalls. Her activism was not confined to formal political meetings. She was also involved in mobilising young people, encouraging them to understand their political rights and inspiring them through songs of freedom and political activism. For Khan, this made Akambakamba one of the genuine warriors who helped keep the BNF alive during difficult times. He says he is proud to have been part of a generation that resisted what they believed was an attempt to weaken and disintegrate the BNF.
A political mother Beyond the structures of the BNF, Akambakamba also touched the lives of younger politicians who encountered her during their formative years. Minister of International Relations, Dr Phenyo Butale was amongst those who paid tribute to her following news of her death. Butale remembers “Mma Akay” as an elder in Gaborone Central constituency. He says Akambakamba was one of the people who welcomed him into the political struggle after he decided to contest following the death of his political hero and leader, Gomolemo Motswaledi to continue the parliamentary race in 2014.
For Butale, Akambakamba represented more than an ordinary political activist. She was a unifier who helped establish a strong political foundation in Gaborone Central at a time when the opposition coalition was still finding its feet. He recalls that while some constituencies struggled with unity and coherence amongst the parties that formed the UDC, Akambakamba and other elders worked to make a united political team in Gaborone Central. Amongst those he remembers alongside her are the late veteran former Notwane councillor Max Bobi and Rre Moatlhodi. Butale credits the activists for laying what he describes as a solid foundation for the constituency’s political unity. “Mma Akay was a true servant of the people,” Butale says, while also recalling her lengthy service on the Notwane Ward Development Committee. Her contribution, therefore, went beyond party politics.
It extended into community structures where she participated in efforts aimed at addressing issues affecting ordinary residents. Inspiring a new generation Perhaps one of the clearest indications of Akambakamba’s influence can be found in the memories of younger activists she mentored. Gomolemo Kemotho remembers hearing her name long before he met her. Growing up in Modikwane Ward in Serowe, an area he describes as deeply dominated by the BDP, he recalls hearing stories about fearless BNF firebrands such as Dabutha, popularly known as “Bombshell”, Cde Mma Koiye, Cde Nthebolang and, of course, Akambakamba. Her reputation, therefore, preceded her. At the University of Botswana, where she was based politically in Gaborone Central’s Notwane Ward, Akambakamba became a political mother to generations of MASS-BNF cadres. Kemotho recalls that during the 2009 elections, Akambakamba contested Notwane while he contested Government Ward. They both lost their respective contests. Yet, rather than allowing electoral defeat to discourage the younger activists around her, Akambakamba used the experience as an opportunity to encourage and give them strength. Kemotho remembers receiving a call from her after the election. “Ngwanaka, a o siame? O seka wa utlwa botlhoko thata, ke ditlhopho,” she told him, reassuring him that elections were not the end of the political journey. Akambakamba reminded him that he had shown voters that the BNF still existed and had brought the party’s presence into an area dominated by the BDP.
That moment, Kemotho says, captured the essence of Akambakamba. And even when the political environment was difficult, she remained committed to keeping what she regarded as the revolutionary flame alive. Councillor Mmabatshidi Segwabe says Akambakamba was one of the strong women in the BNF who believed in its ideology. “BNF has few women who defended the party and its presidents when it was tough or when it was going through rough times,” Segwabe states. “The likes of Akambakamba, Mma Koee, Happy Bashe amongst others were normally called when the party was in trouble or when it was under attack. They knew how to build and stand with the president. She was once a women’s league chairperson and a member of the central committee.” Rodrick Mogotsi adds: “I worked with her closely in 2009, she was a resilient, hard working, true BNF who believed in its culture and its principles. She used to fund us during University of Botswana Student Representative Council (SRC). She had massive influence in Mass UB.” He said those were party elders they believed in.
A legacy that transcends elections Akambakamba’s political journey is significant because it demonstrates that political contribution cannot always be measured by electoral victories. Although she contested elections and served as a councillor, much of her influence was exercised away from the ballot box through mobilisation, mentorship, community work and the political education of younger activists. Her decades of involvement in the BNF also placed her amongst a generation of women who refused to remain on the margins of political activism. She was outspoken, determined and prepared to challenge those around her when she believed that the principles she stood for were at stake. For those who knew her, Akambakamba was a mother, mentor, organiser, campaigner, councillor and political fighter. Her comrades may disagree on many political questions, but the tributes following her death point to a common conclusion: she left an indelible mark on the BNF and on the political lives of those she encountered.