How Motswaledi cut his political teeth
Ryder Gabathuse | Friday August 8, 2014 15:25
He had no time for kicking homemade soccerballs as his peers did. As politics is as old as humanity itself, Gomolemo – the former Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) secretary general and Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) president – used to take his valuable time to go out and listen to politicians in their element especially the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) politicians. He was only 12 years old at the time and had already made his mind up to be a politician and a chorister of note.
“From his early days whilst at primary school in Serowe, he would just go out to listen to these politicians and come back home to accurately mimic them word for word together with animated reenactions,” says Gomolemo’s 39-year-old younger brother, Gape Motswaledi.
Gomolemo, 44, was about 12 years at the time and already he presented himself as a serious young boy who knew what he wanted out of life. His parents did not prevent the young Gomolemo from enjoying himself with his newfound love. Gape and other relatives were particularly amazed at the way the late politician could accurately recite the messages that politicians had earlier shared with the villagers.
“He took the liberty to attend the BDP rallies and informed our parents that he had seen DK or Raditanka.
“He would recite their addresses with such precision as if he had recorded the proceedings of the entire political rally,” reminisces Gape, who speaks with a notable tenor bass similar to his late brother’s.
Interestingly, Gomolemo would reportedly wear his mother’s black beret and demonstrate to his family exactly how DK looked like at the rally. The other thing that Gomolemo admired was the BDP’s International Choir to the extent that Gape says his late brother would co-opt the entire family as his choir and sing all the songs with such accuracy that he many speechless.
Wherever Mma-Gomolemo (now deceased) went and especially if the trip had anything to do with school choirs and music, Gomolemo would follow her. At the end of the day, the young man would croon to his family, far much better than the school choir itself. At times, the mother and her son would sing together as if she was with her choir.
“He had a very sharp ear and indeed he was gifted,” remembers Gape, who also happens to have the same gift.
Singing is in the blood of the Motswaledi family as the father Thatayaone Motswaledi, a retired educationist, was a notable singer in his halcyon days.
“My father was a great singer – a great bass profondo (lower bass),” recalls Gape, who is also a respectable singer and composer of choral music. The late Molefhe Molefhe, an educationist, respected choral music conductor and a singer, was one man that Gomolemo admired for his musical gifts. Since Molefhe used a white baton to conduct choirs, Gomolemo cut a stick and painted it white to look like that of Molefhe the musician.
Gomolemo mimicked Molefhe until he discovered himself.
“He did not waste time playing plastic soccer in the neighbourhood like some of us did. He chose his own line. He was pre-destined to become a musician and a politician,” stressed Gape. In simple terms, Gape acknowledges that politics and music were a calling to Gomolemo as he never struggled to build his career in the two fields. After discovering himself musically, Gomolemo stopped mimicking others and it was now time he openly expressed himself.
“I witnessed him grow musically. He led the church choirs at a tender age. When he was only 23 years he started and took KTM Choir to America the same year it was formed and it received standing ovations there,” he declares matter of factly. The late Gomolemo would use KTM as a medium of expression and he apparently taught other choirs to master the art of singing. Some bands and individual musicians benefitted from his training so much that they were able to identify the talents they carried. Gomolemo enjoyed a touch of folklore, band music, European classical music, choral music and others.
“My brother could not just sing. He sang to make an impact with a high degree of professionalism,” he noted.
Above all, Gape says his brother was an agent of change in politics as he would see hope where a lot of people saw desolation.
Gape is convinced that a lot of people who spent time with his brother did not understand him at all.
“When some of us doubted whether he was getting anywhere with his political game, he was convinced that he was just about to reap the fruits of his labour in politics.” Well, Gape and others may not have seen any tangible evidence of Gomolemo’s political achievements as opposed to what he amassed in his musical career, but they are waiting for the “good things to come” as he has promised.
Former political colleague at both the ruling BDP and Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD), Kabo Morwaeng says he values the time he spent with Gomolemo at both the BDP and BMD. He remembers how around 2009/10 he and Gomolemo escaped death by a whisker on their way to Ghanzi on a political mission when they survived two road accidents. At first their car hit a warthog and then a vulture smashed the car windscreen.
Morwaeng described the fallen hero as a true patriot who had a passion for politics.
“He dedicated a greater portion of his time to politics,” noted Morwaeng who previously served in the BDP Central Committee in which Gomolemo was the secretary general and was also an additional member in the Gomolemo-led Central Committee. At BMD, whilst Morwaeng was the national organising secretary, Gomolemo was the party president.
“Gomolemo knew people and strongly believed in grassroots politics. He had a very good strategy of investing in social relationships,” he says.
“He knew the party members and opinion leaders countrywide very well. He was a man of all seasons.
“He fitted very well in the society and was able to acclimatise very well to situations.
“I consider myself very lucky to have interacted closely with Gomolemo as at one stage we campaigned from one camp and at a later time we were in different camps but life never stopped.”
He is impressed by the fact that the late politician upheld a high level of botho in good or bad times.
“He has lived his life and has made his contribution,” he says.
Morwaeng also noted that Gomolemo was eloquent and very articulate in both Setswana and English.
As an orator, Morwaeng likened Gomolemo only to the fallen heroes of Phillip Matante, Daniel Kwele, Maitshwarelo Dabutho and Paul Rantao to mention but a few. Together with current legislator, Daniel Kwelagobe, these men knew how to stir peoples’ interest in politics even when chips were down.
Kanye North MP, Kentse Rammidi of the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) was elected to the BDP National Youth Executive Committee (NYEC) with Gomolemo chairing NYEC in 2000. Some of the people elected to the committee included Mahalapye West MP, Bernard Bolele, Kavis Kario, Nixon Marumoloa, Sabelo Matikiti and others. Rammidi says Gomolemo ran BDP NYEC like a professional outfit and was never willing to compromise on quality leadership.
“I would say he was a good leader and even when the party developed factions, he did not use the factions to punish others,” he declares, emphasising that Rammidi was a great politician.
Looking back into Gomolemo’s life, Rammidi says the late leader was a politician who was not enticed by materialism.
“He wanted to provide leadership through and through. Interestingly, I can’t remember any dull rally that Gomolemo attended and addressed,” he reminisces, adding that the late leader had a way of involving people.
Mmoloki Thomola is a BCP council candidate in Zwenshambe village and only came to closely know Gomolemo during the Tonota North parliamentary by-election after the death of ex-minister Baledzi Gaolathe, a few years ago.
“We were in BDP territory and when chips were down, he would motivate us so that we didn’t give up the fight,” noted Thomola this week.
Thomola says that Gomolemo had a way of stirring up people so that they could soldier on even when the going was tough. A teacher at Masunga Senior Secondary School, Kenneth Kwalidza describes Gomolemo as an orator, advocate of contemporary politics of the ruler and the ruled, the poor and the rich. He thanks Gomolemo for his advocacy against inequalities and equity imbalances and uplifting the downtrodden in their battle against the bourgeoisie.
“Your leadership and character shall forever be an inspiration in our spirits. Your political drive and boldness shall forever be our courage and determination,” says Kwalidza.