Women MPs remember �sweetheart� Bathobakae
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Friday December 2, 2016 16:07
Dorcas Makgato who described Bathobake as a very sweet, sensitive and calm, says the number of women in Parliament has now gone down from six to five. She was the second woman in history to have made it into Parliament from the opposition parties.
“As women in politics we were happy for Bathobakae that slowly women were penetrating politics. It has been difficult for women to be voted during general elections, especially from the opposition. The relationship we had with her cannot be explained by anyone, especially during women caucus. Our voices were united when it came to women issues, and no one could recognise that she was from the opposing side,” Makgato said. 4She said Bathobakae was not a loud person, and even during Parliament debates, it needed someone who has a sharp intellect to understand her point. “She had love for her constituency. Every time when she stands, the first thing was ‘Batlokwa ba sokola’. We were proud to hear a woman from the opposing side who knew why she was voted. At times we used to ask her to calm her comrades when their tempers were high. We will miss her as women,” she said. Bathobakae’s bosom pal in Parliament, Botlogilwe Tshireletso said their connection started the day she debutted in Parliament.
“I remember asking her that we should take pictures. From that time onwards, we became friends and we started sharing personal and social problems that as women we do face in politics and outside. The common thing that we both had was love of gender issues and attire,” she said, sobbing. She said Bathobake liked clothes and she would not wear one dress from morning to evening.
“I knew that my friend changes twice in a day. What hurts me most is that we had gone to a designer to make new dresses for us for the State of Nation Address (SONA),” revealed Tshireletso, adding that “She has done well for her constituency”.
She also said what hurts, is that it takes years for a woman to make it in politics and Bathobakae started well at council level just like her.