The idiom ,“a cat has nine lives”, aptly captures Majaga’s political career. Love or loathe him, Majaga is probably the only politician since the advent of democracy in Botswana to face serious criminal charges for the most part of his political journey, especially after he became a Member of Parliament (MP). A controversial figure, Majaga’s political journey is littered with successes and challenges, mostly politico-legal, but he managed to ride out the storm. During the primary elections in Nata over the weekend, Majaga’ supporters strongly maintained that his legal woes were politically motivated. Majaga’s ardent supporters maintain - without evidence - that the powers that be at Tsholetsa House are the instigators of his legal problems after he was acquitted and discharged of all the charges that he was charged with. However, they vowed that come rain or sunshine, they will always stand by their “man” and give him their votes. The supporters even accused the powers that be at the BDP of wanting to impose their own preferred candidates over them.
The BDP, including President Mokgweetsi Masisi, has on numerous occasions denied allegations that the BDP leadership is favouring some candidates over others. The BDP has always maintained that its leadership is politically neutral. To the uninitiated, in the past, Masisi even rebuked all BDP activists who said that they were his preferred choices and had his backing during political campaigns. Many things can be said about Majaga but it is important to walk down memory lane about some of Majaga’s alleged brushes with the law. In 2017, the State alleged that Majaga and his co-accused, Shadreck Mochabange, Tshokolo Mochabange, Semphete Malindi and Goletswang Mpule were found in possession of beef and hide on August 16, 2006. Majaga has on numerous occasions cried out that the charges against him were politically motivated adding that they always resurfaced when elections are near. Then, Majaga’s attorney, Oratile Konne, expressed misgivings about the delay in finalising the matter. “Eleven years has passed since the accused were alleged to have committed the offence, but they are yet to be arraigned,” Konne said. Majaga and his co-accused were later acquitted and discharged of the charge. In June 2020, Majaga was embroiled in yet another political firestorm. The State alleged that Majaga defiled a 16-year-old minor between September 2019 and May 2020, at Malelejwe cattle post, a settlement in the Nata-Gweta constituency. He was later acquitted and discharged of the charge. After the charge of defilement was laid against Majaga, in June 2020, a high powered delegation led by Vice President Slumber Tsogwane went to Nata to try to get to the bottom of Majaga’s alleged defilement matter. The BDP subsequently suspended Majaga for 60 days to enable him to clear his name in the wake of the charges levelled against him. “As a party that respects and upholds the rule of law, the BDP will allow Majaga to deal with the charges without prejudice and allow for completion of the process of the law,” reads the statement from the party then.
Then, Majaga strongly maintained that the allegation of defilement levelled against him was a political witch hunt orchestrated by some people within the BDP who loathe him and were hell bent on seeing his downfall. He then vowed that he would do everything within his power to clear his name against the “trumped-up” criminal charge. Just like in the stock theft case, Majaga was acquitted and discharged of defilement. Years after Majaga was acquitted and discharged of all his criminal matters, some of his supporters still continue to read malice and double standards following his suspension. They argue that the BDP did not suspend the deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Pono Moatlhodi, after he was charged with a criminal offence. Maotlhodi landed in trouble after the state alleged that he and married couple, Maranyane Kebitsang and Nnyana Kebitsang, acting together in concert, subjected Kesego Olekantse to inhuman treatment on January 30, 2019 by assaulting him in Tonota. The trio is alleged to have thereafter unleashed a vicious dog to bite Olekantse causing him puncture wounds and bruises on his face and body contrary to the Children’s Act. Olekantse allegedly bore the brunt of the trio after he allegedly stole some mangoes from the Kebitsang homestead. Maranyane has since died. During the BDP primary elections in Nata over the past weekend, the sentiment that charges against Majaga were politically motivated cropped up again. One of Majaga’ supporters, Michael Kgosiemang, was of the opinion that the powers that be in the BDP loathe Majaga to the extent of wanting to get rid of him using law fare. But over the past weekend, Majaga was facing a formidable opponent and fighting a political battle of his political life against Dr Benjamin Radihephi. In Radihephi, who is reportedly Masisi’s blue-eyed boy, and is a veterinary surgeon who also has a Master of Business Administration (MBA), the stakes were high against Majaga. Majaga won the primary with a razor thin margin of 93 votes after he was voted by 1, 435 people while Radihephi garnered 1, 342 despite joining the race very late.
After the primary elections preliminary results were announced, Majaga adopted a different posture. He was humble and calm contrary to the tag of controversy that he is often associated with. Dressed in a military shirt, which is perceived by some people as a symbol of authority, responsibility and can also be appealing, Majaga said that he will not have sleepless nights after it was revealed that the results were preliminary because voting did not take place in some polling stations like Tshookotshaa because the names of people who reside in those areas were misplaced in the voters’ rolls of other wards among other reasons. The presiding officer, Bofelo Kgaodi, said the affected wards were Tshookotshaa, Maphosa and Sepako. The matter has since been referred to the BDP leadership in Tsholetsa House for resolution. The net effect of primary elections not taking place in these areas, Kgaodi explained, is that they have the effect of affecting the parliamentary results. Majaga was confident of finally winning the primary election even if the BDP leadership makes a decision to reschedule voting in the affected areas. “The areas in which no voting took place are my strongholds. I am confident of being the BDP candidate in October. Also, few people live in those areas and their votes will not make any significant change to the preliminary results that were just announced,” said Majaga.
