A trendsetter, a revolutionary
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Friday May 23, 2014 15:25
Outside political activism, the BCP candidate for Gaborone North is the deputy director of academic services at the University of Botswana. She has been instrumental as a policy shaper in the university Administration.
But it is in opposition politics that Rapelana has always been a force to be reckoned with. In fact, when the BCP broke away from the Botswana National Front (BNF) in 1998, she was the first name on the members’ registration list. She was then elected the deputy secretary general of the new movement.
Her activism however goes beyond the BNF and BCP. She has a rich political profile. During the liberation struggle against apartheid in South Africa, Rapelana, then known as Motsei Madisa, was one of the key contacts for the African National Congress (ANC) in Botswana. She was instrumental in coordinating the movement of Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) cadres in and out of South Africa.
“Here at home I played a prominent role in building the Botswana Youth Federation, a youth wing of the Botswana National Front (BNF). In 1993, I was elected secretary for public education of the BNF,” she says.
Never one to shy away from contest, Rapelana will be, in the October general elections, seeking a vote to represent residents of Gaborone North in Parliament for the second time. In 2009, she lost narrowly to the incumbent, Keletso Rakhudu of the Botswana Democratic Party.
But it was not the first attempt. In 2004, she stood and lost against BDP’s Rakwadi Modipane in the then Kgatleng West.
The losses have not dampened her mood. She has now devised a road map for the constituency. “When voted to Parliament, my mandate will be to advocate for development and management of energy and water resources, which includes beneficiate of coal resources, investing in research and utilisation of clean renewable energy programmes such as solar, wind and biomass,” Rapelana says.
She believes that households and businesses that utilise renewable energy should be subsidised by the state. On issues of land, Rapelana believes that poor people and those who lack influence or connections to the powers that be find it hard to access land. Her view is that the land market is seriously distorted due to lack of service land.
She wants to ensure fair and equitable treatment of all landowners or users of land irrespective of the land tenure. Rapelana says she will ensure the servicing of land in villages, towns and cities prior to land allocations.
Rapelana believes that the public education sector has collapsed and this is attributable to the curriculum system that is irrelevant to their evolving economy.
She will advocate for access to free and compulsory basic education, promote teacher professional development by setting a first degree as the minimum qualification for all teachers in order to restore teacher esteem and dignity. As a mother, Rapelana says issues that are close to her heart and gives her sleepless nights is youth challenges. She says the majority of the Botswana population are the youth yet they are the most marginalised.
“The youth are confronted by a whole host of challenges under the BDP regime. There are challenges of high levels of unemployment, limited or no access to economic activities. I am going to support and strengthen the youth non-government organisation for effective youth empowerment and development.”
If elected to Parliament, Rapelana promises to fight for adequate infrastructures and services that include provision of entertainment centres to enable the youth to participate in sport, physical education, artistic and leisure activities.
Among the key areas of her campaign is advocating for availability of drugs at government health institutions and to reduce the waiting time for specialised treatment. She also promised to ensure that long queues are eradicated in health facilities, by ensuring proper staffing with medical doctors and relevant personnel. She will also call for transformation for the fight against HIV/AIDS into a national emergency.
Rapelana’s greatest wish is to restore and improve the Botswana of prior to the ‘dictatorship’ that came with the Ian Khama presidency. She says the BCP is the only party of choice that is available to effect the restoration and improvement of life.
“We firmly believe that Botswana can and must be better. The change in our political landscape lies in our working men and women. The dreams of our youth for a brighter future stands to be shattered if they do not take to the ballot in large numbers to end the BDP misrule and the dangerous presidency of Khama. It would be tragic if the people of Botswana were to betray their mission to end the BDP misrule in 2014,” she says.
Rapelana was born in Mochudi and completed her secondary education at Molefi Secondary School. She studied for a Bachelor of Humanities (B.A.) in History and Sociology. In addition, Rapelana, has a Concurrent Diploma in Education (University of
Botswana and Swaziland). Rapelana holds a Master’s Degree in Education and Planning from the University of London.