After being given a new lease of life, the Botswana National Front (BNF) secretary-general (SG), Ketlhalefile Motshegwa, says he gave away his candidacy to the Alliance for Progressives (AP) president Ndaba Goalathe because the latter deserved it more.
Motshegwa was set to contest for the Gaborone Bonnington South constituency Member of Parliament (MP) seat again but when the Alliance for Progressives (AP) joined the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) last year, it meant that the veteran trade unionist had to make way for Gaolathe. Gaolathe and Motshegwa fought on opposites sides in 2019, but voter splitting between the two gave the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) a chance to snatch away the area from the opposition.
Gaolathe was the incumbent at the time and he came second with 3, 461 votes. Motshegwa was third with 2, 367 votes in a constituency that was won by the BDP’s Christian Greeff with 4, 603 votes. This past weekend during Gaolathe’s launch, Motshegwa said after contesting for the Gaborone Bonnington South MP seat in the 2019 General Election, he sat down with Gaolathe to decide who gets to contest.
“I told Gaolathe that if there is anyone who is best suited for the Gaborone Bonnington South candidacy, it is him. I am here to tell the constituents that Gaolathe is the UDC candidate because the seat has been vacant,” he said. Motshegwa said if Gaolathe does not win back the MP seat in October it would be a “natural disaster.”
Twice in the build up to the 2024 General Election, Motshegwa has been the sacrificial lamb for the common good. After giving away Gaborone Bonnington South to the UDC vice president, Motshegwa set his eyes on his home village of Mmadinare, a BDP stronghold.
As the wars ensued between BDP’s Molebatsi Molebatsi and Kefentse Mzwinila, Motshegwa was making inroads in the constituency and made his intentions known. Motshegwa’s campaign was short-lived once again when the UDC constituency allocation negotiations opted to give the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) the Mmadinare constituency. Motshegwa was once again left without a constituency until things took a swift turn when the BPF left the coalition opting for a PACT model. The departure of the BPF resulted in a vacancy in Mmadinare and Motshegwa had to step back in and continue where he left off.
The UDC has even announced that Motshegwa will be officially launched as the UDC candidate in Mmadinare on August 31, 2024. Motshegwa, a member of the UDC National Executive Committee (NEC), recently said some people think their future lies in contesting for elections. He said when the same people are not nominated as candidates, they go around destroying the party image. He said people should not fight to contest for office because if the UDC takes power, they will be abundant positions. “We might even put the BDP members in those positions; there is plenty of space for everyone,” Motshegwa emphasised.
He said people who derail from the way should be reminded of their oath. He said in the constituencies member affiliates being the BNF, the Alliance for Progressives (AP) and the Botswana People’s Party should unite to oust power from the ruling BDP. Just like in 2019, Motshegwa’s candidature is seen as a strategy by the UDC to present itself as a party which is accommodative to workers and trade unions.
His message to the people is usually focused on improving the welfare of workers. Motshegwa was known as a militant trade unionist and he started his activism in Francistown where he was the chairperson of BLLAHWU, Francistown branch, and the BOFEPUSU regional secretary. He later rose to become the BLLAHWU SG in 2010 and deputy SG of BOFEPUSU in 2011. He was the treasurer-general of the African Municipalities and Local Government Unions Network (AMALUN), the chairperson of Public Service International (International Trade Union Secretariat) in Botswana. He represented workers and trade unions in various international forums including the International Labour Conference.
During his time in trade unions, he at some point became the chief negotiator at the Public Service Bargaining Council. He has been a fearless trade unionist who pursued the workers’ agenda and was among the people who led the 2011 massive industrial strike. In 2014, government froze his salary on account of his trade unionism but withdrew after court intervention. Motshegwa was finally dismissed in 2015. Motshegwa was born in Mmadinare and as he fancies his chances in his home village, he will rely on his family ties and proximity to royalty.
The Mmadinare constituency, since its inception, has always been a BDP stronghold. Motshegwa will seek to turn the tide in a BDP stranglehold and a constituency that had heavyweight and former Vice President, Ponatshego Kedikilwe as its MP for the longest time.