CLEANER TO COUNCILLOR
Ompeetse Legae was a cleaner in Gaborone before ascending to the position of Councillor for Ngware/ Shadishadi/ Diphuduhudu in the Letlhakeng Constituency in 2019.
This is her fifth year holding tight to the position and as the general election approaches, she is hoping to take a second bite at the cherry. It has not been an easy road for her as a woman. She faced stiff competition from male competitors.
She suffered ridicule, her qualifications were debated more than anything. Her competitors were always quick to remind her that she was a nobody, that a cleaner stood no chance as a leader.
What would she say to the people? All she knew was to sweep and mop, her rightful place as a woman, they had mocked her.
“It was a very difficult time for me, I was forced to develop a thick skin and focus on the task at hand. I had been supporting other politicians for a very long time without throwing my name in the hat. But in 2014, I decided that I was going for the kill," she told The Midweek Sun.
"However, I lost to a male candidate from the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC). I was a bit shaken but not enough to kill my dream. I came back more determined than ever in my Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) coat in 2019 and won,” Legae said.
She said that as women, they are always quick to throw in the towel when the going gets tough and that is how many of them are missing in leadership positions.
Legae advises all women that if they badly want something, they should be ready to fight for it with all their might. She badly wanted to be Councillor and that is how she eventually clinched the seat - her hunger was fuelled by
the dwindling numbers of women in politics.
She recalled how she always got nervous during her first days in Council chambers; her heart skipped every time male Councillors made submissions or spoke. She was terrified of going against them.
“I guess it comes with the nature of any new job, I was new at it and had no confidence in myself. However, I have managed to overcome all that. I am now very confident and able to express myself without fear or doubt.”
Councillor Legae represents communities in remote areas that have little to no access to basic amenities. She is proud that in the few years she has been Councillor, there are new developments in her area to improve the lives of the people.
She believes that more could have been done had it not been for the Covid-19 pandemic that saw the bulk of government funds poured in the health sector.
“There was no money, government prioritised saving people’s lives. But all is not lost as we are slowly recovering from the effects of the pandemic. Government is currently busy building offices for public servants in Ngware.
“In fact, more will be built in Diphuduhudu also. There has also been installation of electricity in Diphuduhudu which is a very remote area. The people there have been living without electricity for the longest time but now there is light.”
Councillor Legae indicated that they are waiting for construction of a tarred road from Diphuduhudu to Ngware and connect to Letlhakeng.
She explained that the roads are bad and people struggle greatly. Some can wait for transport for more than three days to travel to other places. The village struggles to have daily public transport like other villages because the roads are bad and damage vehicles.
The situation is more painful when the sick need to be transported to advanced health facilities either in Letlhakeng or Molepolole. The bad roads leave the sick with more pains, worsening their conditions.
Most families in her area are assisted by government with food and toiletries. Legae believes that if residents can be empowered and the remote areas developed, the dependence on government will be lessened, as they will start businesses and feed their families.