These are not your typical spiders, which are predators of insects, but this is the battle of three men who share the same surname and are distantly related. Segokgo is a Setswana language name for spider and the trio Thulagano, Phenyo and Masego will weave out their webs. After October, one of them will be crowned the biggest Segokgo or ‘Spiderman’ as some people refer to the Segokgo.
Speaking of big, in the world of spiders, the largest spiders are referred to as tarantulas and zzzz Goliath bird eater tarantula of South America is arguably the biggest spider in the world. Voters will determine which web the MP seat will wander into as the trio sets their deadly campaign traps. The most interesting aspect of this battle is that all the Segokgo men have already tasted blood. Two of the competitors have already tasted the National Assembly seat while one has managed to capture a small prey in the past being the council seat.
Phenyo is a former Councillor for Sefoke ward in Tlokweng and rose to fame after the formation of the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) in 2010. He became the president of the party’s youth wing. When BMD split in 2017, Segokgo did not go with the splinter party, the Alliance for Progressives (AP) but joined the Botswana National Front (BNF), an affiliate of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC). In 2019 he contested the elections under the UDC but lost to Lesego Molefhe in what was a shock loss.
After a five-year hiatus, Segokgo returned to the political limelight a few months ago when he locked horns with cousin and former MP, Masego Segokgo for the BNF primaries. Phenyo abandoned his previous focus on council and managed to defeat Masego. Phenyo is also a former South East District Council (SDEC) chairperson and believes that his track record positions him to reclaim the MP seat for the UDC.
Conversely, the last time the UDC held Tlokweng, was under Masego between 2017 and 2019. In 2017, Masego won the seat for the UDC in a by-election following the death of former Tlokweng legislator, Same Bathobakae. Masego beat the ruling BDP’s Elijah Katse and independent candidate Shirley Segokgo by 4, 635, 2, 156 and 57 votes respectively. Masego tried to defend the constituency in the 2019 General Election but he ended up losing to Thulagano of the BDP. Thulagano secured 7, 473 votes while Masego came second with 4, 654 votes. In the past five years, Masego thirsted for revenge and shown his intentions to try out a different web construction for 2024. Most spider species have many eyes but Masego did not anticipate the BNF primaries spider venom from Phenyo and his move to the October polls was put on hold. After the primaries fall, Masego stretched his legs and tethered himself to safety.
All spiders are predators and Masego could not lie down and watch his opponents from his reeled-off cocoon. In order to become an active hunting spider that can chase and overpower its prey, Masego joined the Botswana Congress Party (BCP), which will be contesting outside the UDC coalition in October. The BCP President, Dumelang Saleshando, recently welcomed Masego to the fold in Maun. The latter was confirmed as the BCP MP candidate for Tlokweng. Now, Masego has set up a revenge battle with Phenyo who beat him in the BNF primaries this year and Thulagano who wrestled his seat in 2019. Thulagano, on the other side, enters this web battle as the incumbent and his weekend win in the BDP primaries has given him more venom and resolve. He aims to resist any opponents’ insecticide and knows that a victory could as well brand him the biggest Segokgo by winning two consecutive terms.
To fend off competition from the Segokgo men, Thulagano has to be a different kind of spider.
He has to be a species that can secrete long silk strands that carry him great distances. Thulagano is also the Minister of Communications, Knowledge and Technology, so he knows a well-developed sense of sight is needed more than ever as the election season heats up.
In the end of this political family feud, a massive Goliath bird eater, a tarantula will emerge to control insect populations that could otherwise devastate crops in the Tlokweng constituency. When Batlokwa and other constituents choose their preferred Segokgo from the trio in October, the best spider would bite and it would be a painful nerve poison for the losers.
