Will the family tree work for contestants?

RYDER GABATHUSE
Staff Writer | Friday February 15, 2008 00:00

As a young man growing up in the town of Palapye, it never crossed my mind that one day I would be chasing Professor Sheila Tlou, Moiseraele Master Goya and Isaac Maforaga for their comment in a political story.We grew up admiring Tlou and Goya because their parents never stopped talking about their successes and contributions. Maforaga was not born at the time. Tlou's parents, in particular her mother, would simply lecture to a misbehaving child and compel such a person to change their behaviour or face the consequences of life. Goya's father would model a well behaved child who cared for his parents through his son. 'O nkagetse ntlo ya maratagolejwa - My son has built me an enviable house'.

He encouraged children to be responsible and look after their parents. Where do the three BDP candidates really come from and who are their parents? Can their parents' names and backgrounds really help them win tomorrow? Tlou's names, Sheila and Dinotshe, are more popular here than her surname. This is because Sheila's mother is commonly known as MmaDinotshe rather than Mrs. Morake. At some stage, MmaDinotshe was known for her business acumen after establishing a small general dealer that she named after Las Vegas, a city in the United States. Perhaps, this was because her daughter, a professor of nursing currently on leave of absence at the University of Botswana, studied in America. She read for her Bachelors of Science degree in Nursing up to PhD in Nursing Sciences. Sheila also once lived with her husband, Prof. Thomas Tlou, in Washington, whilst he was a diplomat there. The Morakes, who had an illustrious service during their tenure as civil servants, are still known today for their high level of discipline. Perhaps, this is what makes the family so popular in town. The fact that the Morake home is only a stone's throw from the Palapye main Kgotla also has assisted the pensioners to be regulars at the meetings where important announcements are made. By invitation or not, they would find their way there, more so that they have now rented out their businesses.

Tlou's mother, a retired administrator, worked as an executive at the district commissioner's office before ending her long career at the Jubilee Hospital in Francistown. Her father was a veterinary officer.Although Sheila's parents might be staunch members of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), it is unlikely that they played a role in influencing her participation in active politics. In an earlier interview, Sheila said: 'My parents were initially opposed to my candidature in the BDP primaries and possibly the by-election'. They advised their daughter to try her luck only in 2009 general election. They later had a change of heart and gave up, considering that after her special election to parliament and appointment to Cabinet, it meant that their daughter was trusted by the highest office in the land. Although Tlou is married in Bobonong to a historian husband, she enjoys the privilege of contesting for a constituency in her other home, Palapye. The influence wielded by the Morakes has great potential to tilt the scale in her favour.These people have connections with the right people including President Festus Mogae. As we grew up there was a time when we used to herd my grandfather's cattle around Palapye and Lecheng, especially when our cattlepost, Mokgatsha-wa-dinama was hit by drought to which it was vulnerable then. Whilst herding the animals, we ensured that we never allowed them to stray into the fields of the Maforaga family.

The family owned a vast piece of land which stretched from where today sits the popular Engen mall, including a part of where today the Botswana Housing Corporation (BHC) has built some of its houses near the Lotsane River. The Maforagas were known for producing various traditional foods from their tshimo slightly outside Palapye then, as there were no developments beyond it. The family was very influential. One of them is a headman of records in the Serorome ward. Maforaga's father is formerly a councillor in Palapye and he is an active member of the BDP. It is this background, coupled with the young Maforaga's achievements in the party that have propelled him to try his luck in the race for the BDP ticket to parliament. His family members are popular residents of Palapye who have a fair share of their achievements. The youthful politician, who has reason to boast about his political career so far, is currently helping his parents at their businesses and has set out on his own to conquer the world. Although there are disputes about his status, he is no longer in the employ of the government. The Maforaga name is by any standards big enough to help the young politician gain numbers. The big question is whether the family name means anything to his campaign? Maforaga is a young man who is battling for independence and has big dreams about his future in politics and outside.

For sure, the family name will in future work wonders for him. For now, there is a lot of confusion coming from the Serowe-Palapye Sub District that Maforaga is still in council employ. He has since clarified that he is no longer a civil servant and people must take his word for it. But this has the potential of denying him the numbers that could help him rise to victory in tomorrow's primaries.Generally, this gives him a doubtful start if he were to make an impact in the re-run for the Palapye constituency.Now enters RraMoiseraele, Goya's father. The old man's story fits the from-rags-to-riches description, thanks to the efforts of his responsible son, Moiseraele. The old man did not do any job that put him in the limelight, but he is proud that after raising his eldest son and his siblings, now it is payback time. He has all the support for him to win the re-run so that he can see where a political career would take his son, who is employed at Standard Chartered Bank head office in Gaborone, where he heads the Recoveries Unit. RraMoiseraele worked at the Sefalana wholesalers before he retired into subsistence farming.He is easy to relate to. Even when his son wanted to venture into active politics, he consulted his father who is more like a friend to him.So, Palapye people value him as a responsible man who has not shunned the background he comes from. But, can this win votes for him? Well, if the words of the people are anything to go by, he has a chance and the battle will only be won when the party makes the final count tomorrow. For the first time now, Palapye people are asking many questions about the backgrounds of the BDP candidates. They demand to know what the candidates have done for the people in terms of practical cases of assisting the needy and facing their responsibilities.

This was not the case with the former MPs, the late Moutlakgola Nwako, President Festus Mogae and Boyce Sebetela. Apparently, things have changed, and it is the people who are calling the shots. People now ask many questions instead of listening passively and blindly promising to back up a particular candidate without reasons. It remains to be seen if the surnames of the candidates will help them win the party primaries tomorrow. May the best candidate win.