Former SEDC Chairman pays tribute to Kwankwetla

Same Makgowa Bathobakae is no more. This was the saddest news conveyed to the full council sitting of the South East District yesterday as Comrade Phenyo Mokete Segokgo disclosed the untimely death of the woman with the big heart fondly known in political circles as Kwankwetla.

The mood was sombre, more tense and palpable. There was a lot of crying amongst all the Councillors. The council unanimously agreed to adjourn as no single person was ready to continue the day’s session. The proceedings were postponed to today, Wednesday 30th November 2016.
Same was a people’s person and servant leader whose contribution to the people of the South East, Tlokweng and at one point the people of Tlokwa South in particular distinguished her as the most remarkable leader. I have led her and she too led in our times in life.

A force to reckon with in politics, I knew her very closely when she joined the South East District Council in 2004 after she had beaten another gentle giant of Tlokweng Mme Kemaketse Simon Seitshiro.  She had previously been in the legal field as Secretary, and as she had become knowledgeable in this field and particular in conveyancing matters she was immediately made Chairperson of the Council Physical Planning Committee.

As the District was undergoing serious land transformation with major developments at Commerce Park and Game City she was the best person in our midst who could guide this. She became very effective and all the physical planners in the District enjoyed working with Kwankwetla. She was at one point in her council days involved in the gender issues as a Gender Commissioner representing the South East District Council at Botswana Association of Local Authorities. She worked cordially with all the councillors and staff.   

In 2009 I lost the Council Chairman seat to her. As we were not from the same political stable, one would have expected her to sideline me. Makgowa never did that. The non-partisan leader in her sought my counsel on all matters she did not understand. At the end of 2008 we had as a District entered into a twinning partnership agreement with the Greater Sekhukhune District Municipality of the Limpopo District. I had been involved in negotiations of this.

When the South Africans made the return visit in March 2009 Kwankwetla did not find anything wrong in assigning a role at the joint inaugural meeting much to the protest of her colleagues. She took me again with her delegation a month later to Groblersdal for the formal signing of the partnership. This was the lady who led by example and did not exclude others because of political divides.

In politics, Bathobakae was a strategist who was always undermined by those who did not follow her closely. She was a grassroots person who never entertained laziness. At Tlokwa South, she knew all the people in her ward and visited them irrespective of affiliation.  She was a champion of empowerment of women. She was always willing to help other disadvantaged women and vulnerable people; she was a stubborn leader who simultaneously was always willing to cooperate and compromise.

She read political environment better than most of us. Kwankwetla was democrat and a strong lady. If Botswana National Front is the most stable party in Botswana, she played a crucial role in the crusade to that. How many women were willing to stand and be counted when this organisation was not well except the gentle giant and iron lady of Tlokweng?

She joined Parliament in 2014 and those who have not worked closely with her or even known her have falsely accused her of non-performance.  Same might not have been a ‘talker’ but she was a doer who never shied from asking for information if she felt it could be of help to her in her work. She was a rare breed of women leaders and who was always willing to learn and share.     

In the recent BNF congress, she had wanted to retain her position as the Vice President but the revolutionary in her wisely informed her to step aside to allow young blood to take the leadership roles in a movement she has sacrificed so much for. If you wanted in the trenches she would be in the forefront. Therefore her decision not stand for her position should never be considered as capitulation to male domination. She was fearless in her fight for social justice, peace, equality and gender equality.  She was a woman with a big heart. She was my friend and sister. Long Live Comrade and friend.