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Sudzani Margaret Podiephatshwa is a woman of many seasons - a politician, a businesswoman, a traditional healer and community builder all rolled into one.

While she has taken on various roles, she is most renowned for the contributions she has made in the community of Selebi-Phikwe where she has lived for most of her life. Born in 1954 in Makaleng, a village just outside Francistown, Sudzani was raised by her parents who were civil servants. When she was still a junior secondary school student, she met Petrus Podiephatshwa and fell pregnant by him. They were married soon and blessed with four more children. Altogether they had two boys and three girls. Petrus passed away in 2009.