Seametso � Khama�s attack dog
Ntibinyane Ntibinyane | Friday October 17, 2014 17:16
Is Alec Seametso President Ian Khama’s attack dog or he is just off the leash? In any case what is emerging from Seametso’s recent attacks and outbursts clearly show that in settling for a national campaign strategist the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) leader settled for an equivalent of a vicious attack dog than a sophisticated and refined strategist to rescue the embattled party during this fiercely contested elections.
Seametso’s rise from political obscurity to rub shoulders with President Khama and BDP top guns is astonishing and beyond believable. But who is Seametso? Who is this newfound controversial lieutenant, Khama appears to like so much?
Born 32 years ago, Gamodimo Alec Seametso grew up in Goo-Rra-Montso ward in Kanye. One of the Ko-kgosing wards. It was in Kanye, that the young Seametso fell in love with Botswana National Front (BNF) at an early age. This did not come as a surprise, Kanye was a BNF stronghold, and his parents were also staunch Front supporters.
At an early age Seametso was no ordinary child, his former classmates, friends and teachers at Rachele Primary School, Mathiba Junior Secondary School and Seepapitso Senior Secondary School told Mmegi this week. The young Seametso was outspoken, and further he was fearless.
A former schoolmate described him more ostentatiously, “During our primary years he was this kid that you always wanted to hang around with. He talked too much and had a way of grabbing your attention, which was amazing. Many kids liked him. But Alec could become a bully if he wanted. At primary school and later as a young adult he was involved in few fights. He wasn’t afraid to roll up his sleeves and fight you.” The source has preferred anonymity because he is Seametso’s comrade at the BDP.
Before politics, music was Seametso’s first love. The young Seametso was obsessed with music. He was not only a fan but also a talented singer and music composer. He started singing at an early age and caught the attention of his teachers, one of his classmates said. “Seametso’s parents were church goers and he might have fell in love with music at ERT Unity Church – his parents church,” said the classmate.
Perhaps it was his love of music that hugely affected his academic performance at Mathiba Junior Secondary School where he passed with a C symbol in 1998. “His C grade wasn’t bad, considering that he had always been a ‘C’ student. He was admitted at Seepapitso Senior Secondary School for his O’Levels,” said the classmate.
At Seepapitso, Seametso completely showed no interest in studying. “He became part of a feared group of students at Seepapitso. He wasn’t necessarily a violent student but he wasn’t an easy person to control either. He talked a lot and displayed arrogance from time to time,” said a former teacher at Seepapitso. It was during this time that he became an active BNF member. It is not clear whether he was a card-carrying member but he campaigned for the party.
His major breakthrough in so far as politics is concerned was when he campaigned for the BNF in Bagami ward during a by-election in 2000. Seametso was a little known politician then and his role was limited. His participation in the by-election came at a time when he was a Form Five student at Seepapitso Senior. The by-election was held on December 2, a few weeks after he sat for his final Form Five examinations.
“Prior to that he was actively involved in the campaign. We wondered if it was wise for him to campaign for us at a time when he was sitting for his final examinations,” said a BNF member.
BNF candidate Bakana Mokonopi won the by-election something that was welcomed with celebrations by Seametso and other young people in Kanye. From that time Seametso fancied himself as a politician. He even told his friends that one day he would contest elections.
While Seametso celebrated the BNF win with gusto, there was little to celebrate when the ‘O’ Level results were released in 2001. Seametso had failed. “He performed badly. His marks were so bad that he could not be admitted into any tertiary institution. He didn’t bother to apply for tertiary education,” a former classmate and friend said.
Seametso did not sit back and wallow in self-pity. He aggressively pursued his first love, music. He joined local music choirs in the village. Seametso sang baritone with energy and passion. His talent as a musician was unmatched. He later joined Kanye Village Health Choir, assembled by Southern District Council, as a conductor. He composed songs and his choir competed with others in the district and beyond.
Choirmaster and BDP
But how did Seametso end up at the BDP? A party his parents despised. According to at least three sources BDP leaders in the village were so mesmerised by one of his public health compositions that they approached him requesting him to give them permission to use it during their campaigns. Initially Seametso was reluctant but later gave the BDP permission to use the song. And that marked his first association with the party. He consulted some of his colleagues in the choir some of whom were BNF members.
“He asked me if we should sell the song to BDP and make money but I refused. Since it was his composition there was nothing we could do and before we know it BDP was using the song at rallies and he was also part of the BDP,” he said.
Kentse Rammidi told Mmegi this week that he personally recruited Seametso to BDP. “I took him from nowhere and made him what he is today. First I realised that he was a talented choral music singer and that he could be groomed into a politician. I was also mindful that he was an overly excited guy with an uncontrollable temper,” he said.
Seametso would later become a central figure in Rammidi’s 2009 general election campaign in Kanye North. With the help of Seametso and others Rammidi defied the odds and defeated Calvin Batsile in a constituency that was traditionally a BNF seat. It was a landslide victory for Rammidi and as a way of thanking Seametso he recommended that he be appointed specially nominated councilor.
When Rammidi went to Parliament, Seametso became ‘honorable’ councillor in the Southern District Council. It was a sweet elevation for the 27-year-old Seametso. For at least two years the two men were inseparable. Rammidi introduced him to politics outside Kanye. They campaigned for the BDP together up until 2011 when Rammidi left the BDP for BNF and later Botswana Congress Party.
Seametso was so devastated. Initially he wanted to defect to the opposition with Rammidi, “…But I told him that he should think about it before he decides to follow me.” Seametso thought about it and decided to remain with the BDP. Life was not easy without his mentor, but he was not without friends in the party.
In 2012 he became Samson Moyo Guma’s campaign manager for the party chairmanship. Guma’s lobby team won all the contested seats at the party congress in Maun. Seametso was credited for running Guma’s successful election campaign. It was also during this period that he became close to BDP leaders such as Thapelo Olopeng. Others disputed this adding that Guma was always going to win because of the resources that he poured into the campaign.
Seametso, the campaign manager
Party leaders including President Khama were somewhat impressed with Seametso and early this year Khama appointed him the party’s national campaign manager. It was a shocking appointment. The media seemed indifferent about the appointment.
But for people who knew Seametso, such as Rammidi, they were in a state of shock wondering how their unsophisticated friend would be managing the BDP’s national campaign at a time when the ruling party is fighting for its survival. “I wasn’t alone, everyone in Kanye was also shocked. Why Seametso of all people? They asked,” said Rammidi.
As campaign manager Seametso became one of Khama’s closest advisors, he travels everywhere with the President. At one point president Khama asked him to start attending cabinet meetings on a weekly basis. Another shocking development.
During President Khama’s rallies Seametso is one of Khama’s curtain raisers. He does what he does best; he attacks Khama’s critics in the opposition with verve and passion. He shoots from the hip. His modus operandi is ‘belittle’ and ‘discredit’ the opponent. He does this well. And he does this in the presence of his master President Khama – the very same person who declared a few years ago that politics is a dirty game. But again this is typical of Botswana politics you discredit with all the expletives that you can find – the opposition is also good at it. Seametso Khama’s ‘king of mudslinging’ has done just that.
Already there are some in the BDP who are complaining that Seametso is not the right person for the job. “Ke paro,” said one BDP parliamentary candidate, adding that Seametso is at his best when he is addressing rallies not as a chief strategist of the ruling party. In 2009 the party engaged Segaetsho Garekwe, a lawyer by profession, to manage the party campaign but this time around the party settled for Seametso a Form Five drop out.
According to sources some BDP candidates are worried that Seametso is not adding any value to the campaigns. “At a time when the ruling party is under threat from the opposition we should have engaged someone who is smart. A thinker with the ability to inspire the BDP base, not someone like Seametso. Where are the BDP brains? Is he the best we have?” said the candidate. Two months ago when interviewed by Mmegi Seametso dismissed reports that he is incompetent he said that he was firmly in charge of the campaign. This week Seametso refused to talk to Mmegi. “I will only talk to the media after the general elections. I am busy with the campaign,” he said.