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Makgato’s quest for redemption

It must have been a bitter pill to swallow for Dorcas Makgato after losing the 2019 General Election and handing over the Sefhare-Ramokgonami constituency to the opposition. She had found herself on the wrong side of history and created an unattractive record for herself and the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), as the ruling party’s first parliamentary candidate to be defeated by the opposition party in the constituency. It must have been a bitter pill to swallow for Dorcas Makgato after losing the 2019 General Election and handing over the Sefhare-Ramokgonami constituency to the opposition. She had found herself on the wrong side of history and created an unattractive record for herself and the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), as the ruling party’s first parliamentary candidate to be defeated by the opposition party in the constituency.
It must have been a bitter pill to swallow for Dorcas Makgato after losing the 2019 General Election and handing over the Sefhare-Ramokgonami constituency to the opposition. She had found herself on the wrong side of history and created an unattractive record for herself and the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), as the ruling party’s first parliamentary candidate to be defeated by the opposition party in the constituency.

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.

Although she accepted the defeat, it was clearly a bitter pill to swallow for Makgato who had been elected once to Parliament. Makgato was then appointed as Botswana’s envoy to Australia, a move which was hailed as a political masterstroke as President Mokgweetsi Masisi rewarded some of the party loyalists.

Despite her ambassadorial appointment abroad, it is very clear that Makgato’s focus remained back home. She had not surrendered her political tools and one would be forgiven for saying she had one eye there and another here. She may have failed to win the 2019 polls, but like a honey badger, she is not one to give up easily. Her time as an envoy lasted only four years, as she made a timely return to contest her party’s primary elections.

Her victory this past weekend means she has set up a second-round date with Dr Gobotswang in the fight for the constituency. It will now be a three-horse race with Shadrack Baaitse of the UDC joining the fray.

While Makgato was diplomatic in her response about her prospects in the 2024 General Election, she is surely thinking about revenge. “I’m very optimistic about our chances in the constituency. I’ll talk about the future once I have won the primaries. Right now my focus is on these elections and that’s what I can comment on,” was Makgato’s rather tactful response to Mmegi during the BDP primaries over the weekend.

The BDP members over the weekend secured her the ticket to avenge the 2019 defeat. Like she never left, Makgato won by a comfortable margin against Derrick Ramaano. While she still has her work cut out for her to secure victory, she would be motivated by the fact that the UDC has been weakened by the BCP going solo. With the opposition likely to divide votes, the chance could be there for Makgato to find redemption and bring back the party’s lost constituency and right the wrong.