Prior to the 2019 General Election, the Sefhare-Ramokgonami constituency as Tswapong South was called then had been a BDP stronghold since the country’s independence. Even with the opposition, the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) having made significant inroads into the area, it had failed to remove the ruling party’s grip on the constituency. Just like other constituencies in Bagammangwato territory, it was hard to think that would happen up until it indeed happened. Dr Kesitegile Gobotswang of the BCP had attempted many times before to unseat the BDP without any success. Before the 2019 elections, Makgato was involved in an exchange of words with the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) patron, Ian Khama, during campaign rallies. In the end, Makgato was defeated by Gobotswang under the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) banner, making it a historic win for the opposition.
After the election, Makgato said she had decided to take a bullet and stand up against the abuse of women. “The very simple reason I say I was prepared for it is, I am sure you know the dynamics and the determining factors in these elections is, I decided that given where this country wants to go and what was happening, I am going to bite the bullet for all of you and say the truth in the manner that I see it no matter what the circumstances are, especially against the abuse of the Constitution in particular by the former president,” she said in a post-election interview.
