Women MPs remember Same Bathobakae

Mahalapye East Member of Parliament, Botlogile Tshireletso has described the late Same Bathobakae as a “sister.”

Bathobakae was found lying dead in her bed by her daughter on Monday in the afternoon. “I started being very close to her after the 2014 general elections during our swearing in ceremony. We used to talk issues about women, not politics. I don’t remember when we talked about politics.

Even when we travelled outside the country together, people thought we were from the same party. Same was like a sister to me,” she said, adding that during their meeting at Women Parliamentary Caucus, Bathobakae was not afraid to say her views regardless of how others felt about political line.

On Monday when Tshireletso issued a statement on the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence, another controversial topic of blessers arose and that is when she realised that the late MP was not in Parliament. “I knew that she was against the issue of blessers and when I looked at her seat that is when I realised she was not around,” said an emotional Tshireletso.

Because of their close relationship, their children also became close like them. “We used to laugh at each other about our body structures. Women issues were very close to Bathobakae. She was a good mother. We lost a true role model because she joined politics long time back and she managed to raise her hand and voice.  Politics is a tough game but Same was not afraid to take men head on,” she said.

Sharing the same sentiments, Sefhare-Ramokgonami MP, Dorcas Makgato who was also close friends with the late MP said, “She was a very sweet person. Very sensitive and calm. One of the MPs at Women Parliamentary Caucus you would never think she was in opposition. We were just women discussing their issues. When there was chaos in Parliament, we relied on her to talk to her male counterparts to calm the situation.”

Meanwhile, Botswana Congress Party, Publicity Secretary, Dithapelo Keorapetse said Bathobakae’s untimely passing has robbed the opposition and the country of a principled, focused and enthusiastic patriot.

“Given that she was a sole woman opposition MP, her untimely passing is therefore a serious setback for women representation in Parliament in particular and women participation in politics in general,” he said. She became the first female Vice President of Botswana National Front (BNF) from 2010 to 2016 before the party elective congress in Francistown where she chose not to defend her position.