Wheels go off for women’s power
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Tuesday August 6, 2024 10:00
The women’s voting power and influence became her vehicle to victory then, but this time around, she did not play her cards right. Despite her best-laid plans, the outcome was not what was expected. Makwinja was, in the end, so near and yet so far away. Disembarking from the proverbial vehicle left her disoriented from a dizzying loss to Legojane Kebaitse, who stood between Makwinja and sweet victory. Before delimitation, Makwinja’s constituency was called Lentsweletau-Mmopane, but has since been renamed to Lentsweletau-Lephephe. The constituency now includes areas that were previously not part of it. However, this time around, she did not play her cards right as disembarking from the vehicle driven by the women’s movement and voting power overturned her fortunes. She lost with 1,032 votes to Kebaitse’s 1,358.
The intra party election in this constituency was contested by six members amongst them Obakeng Kgabo who got 899 votes, Masego Thantshane with 356, Kgopolo Lekuntwane with 352, and Kenalekgotla Sebolao who garnered 314 votes, trailing Makwinja and Kebaitse. Makwinja served as a Member of Parliament for one term after winning the constituency from Vincent Seretse, who was the area MP at that time, beating him by a margin of 45 votes. Seretse's appeal did not reach the party's central committee. Then, Makwinja had strong support from the women's groups who backed her win. This time, however, those same women's groups felt neglected when she became a Minister. They felt her presence was insufficient compared to when she was campaigning for the seat. Additionally, women in areas where Makwinja was expected to be strong believed she did not do enough house-to-house campaigns. They also felt that she should have devised a new strategy to try to win again, especially in key areas, once she realised she was losing her previous strongholds. Furthermore, the concentration of such voting power and influence is indicative of the women’s dominance in wards like Mmatseta and Kopong who swayed their votes in favour of her rival. When Makwinja's allies-turned-rivals contested in Mmatseta and Kopong, it gave Kebaitse an advantage. It became clearer that this time, any candidate from those areas would struggle to penetrate Lentsweletau, Lephephe, and Sojwe, as the people wanted someone from their region, which Makwinja was originally not.
Makwinja faced an even tougher challenge as her former allies, Thantshane and Kgabo, were amongst her competitors, which put her at a disadvantage. With Thantshane and Kgabo's numbers, it was evident she could have won big, but their lack of mutual support was a disappointment. When the results were announced, the celebrating members were from Lentsweletau, where Kebaitse hails from. He won in Lentsweletau, Lephephe, Sojwe, and the surrounding areas. Although Makwinja received high votes in Dikgatlhong, she did not perform poorly in other areas despite Kebaitse's lead. In some places, such as Shadishadi, she even managed to win against Kebaitse by one vote. However, Kgabo, who was once trusted by Makwinja, lost her votes in some areas. Thantshane who is also alleged to be related to Makwinja did make a major impact by disadvantaging her. The numbers Thantshane got could have given Makwinja the lead. Another factor her supporters bemoaned was that some of their voters were not on the voters' roll. In Dikgatlhong, where they prided themselves on her support, about 150 members could not cast their votes as they were not registered. An additional factor that played against her was the delimitation of constituencies that saw a split of constituencies and re-alignment of wards. It cannot be disputed that delimitation has an impact, as it can take crucial areas away from a running parliamentary candidate and assign them to other constituencies.
For example, the populous Mmopane village could have been a stronghold for Makwinja. In Mmopane, she was well-known, and some developments in the area occurred during her tenure as an MP. Additionally, serving as an Assistant Minister also plays a role, as the responsibilities become more national in scope, rather than focused on one's constituency. Makwinja currently serves as the Assistant Minister of Education and Skills Development. Meanwhile, the returning officer, Boniface Kenosi, emphasised the importance of unity amongst residents in the upcoming general election. He urged members to work together, reminding them that this was just a BDP election, not a general one. Kenosi highlighted that all BDP structures in the area must support the winning candidate and that the support of those who lost and their followers is also essential.
He noted that Lentsweletau-Lephephe is a vast area that cannot be won if the party is divided. Kenosi called for the dissolution of individual teams to form a unified campaign team inclusive of everyone. However, the BDP constitution states that candidates who have not won the primary election are duty-bound to support the winning candidates. Again, candidates who have won primary elections are duty-bound to create an atmosphere conducive to party unity and involve unsuccessful candidates in their campaigns.