It was taboo for womenfolk to be seen, say in the African cultural setting, holding court in a Kgotla with men.That was a major task, reserved for men.In other words, theirs was to sweep the yard, bear and nurture children among other chores.The world over, women's suffrage was not allowed, hence advanced democracies in the West started giving women the right to vote in the 1840s. Of course now we do not just have Batswana women voting but they also vie for political office. However patriarchy continues to be seen as a challenge to the success of women in the male dominated political field. Critics accuse the patriarchs of using women as political pawns to make political statements that say 'we also support women empowerment in politics'. BDP president Ian Khama's overtures to empower women as indicated in his support for Tebelelo Seretse's ambition to unseat Daniel Kwelagobe as chairman at the Kanye congress were read as deceptive and political grandstanding by Khama.They say Khama is using women, promising them support (in their political campaigns) to fight his wars against people who oppose him. Back then in Kanye he was against Kwelagobe, whom he did not want as chairman. He enlisted Seretse to oust Kwelagobe whom he had accused of being sickly and power-hungry. Now it is suspended secretary general Gomolemo Motswaledi who had opposed him and even went to an extent of questioning his powers as party president. He even dared and went on to take him to court. Another woman, Kgomotso Mogami, is being used in Khama's war against Motswaledi, they charge.
But is it possible that women are being used, to fulfill their leader's political agendas in the BDP? In the case of Mogami, it would seem standing in the Gaborone Central after Motswaledi's unceremonious exit from the race, is a difficult feat. Some people feel she has been thrown into a hot political abyss, as she would spend the few weeks she has (until elections) trying to convince the electorate why she replaced Motswaledi (who campaigned on the BDP ticket for two years) instead of using the little time available to pitch her ideas for developing the constituency and its people.
