Phuduhudu eyes BDP deputy secretary general position

Onalenna Kelebeile | Tuesday April 11, 2017 16:43

She will be contesting for a position that is currently held by Bobirwa MP Shaw Kgathi.

Phuduhudu who is currently an additional member in the Botswana Democratic Party’s (BDP) central committee believes that she has time, strength, experience and character for the position.

“My prospects of winning are very high and I enjoy massive support from all quarters because they know my abilities. I have interacted with a lot of people both in Bobirwa, Mmadinare and Selebi-Phikwe (BOMASE region) as well as in Kweneng West,” she said.

Mmapula remained unfazed being a woman running for positions that are predominantly and traditionally male dominated. A modern women, to her gone are the days when women were viewed as inferior. She said instead, today’s woman should stand firm and show that they are capable. “As a woman, I will be happy if our numbers grew in positions of leadership, but of course on merit; not just because we are women,” she said.

She also observed that normally, contesting for political positions for women is a tough decision because it needs a lot of resources and few women would not want to go through this experience.

She saluted women such as Tebelelo Seretse who became bold enough to stand for the women course by contesting the party chairmanship at the last party congress two years ago.

Phuduhudu, who is also a public speaker said the fact that she is a motivational speaker and a writer provides a platform for her to reach out to as many women as possible.

“I challenge women to always take up challenges in life. If you do not challenge yourself, you will never know what you are capable of,” she said.

On the fact that political party guidelines dictate that a party votes for its candidate regardless of capabilities, which may defeat efforts to vote women on merit to leadership positions. She argued that in the nature of politics, one votes for policies of her own party.

She said that, “We vote for a party and its programmes that will run the country, not a person. I am not a member of a certain party because I do not agree with its policies. So it is impossible for me to vote for somebody from another party because it would mean that I agree with their policies,” she explained.

Phuduhudu has been a teacher for 17 years at  many senior schools around the country as well as Tonota College of Education before venturing into politics.

She became a nominated councillor in Selebi-Phikwe East from 2009 to 2014 and during this period, she became the secretary for BOMASE region, a member of the BDP disciplinary committee and a central committee member since 2013.

There have been rumours in the Selebi-Phikwe East constituency that she harbours ambitions to run for the Parliamentary position.