Serowe North

Last updated
Serowe North
Single-member constituency
for the National Assembly
Botswana National Assembly - Serowe North (2014-2024).svg
Boundary of Serowe North
District Central
Population37,879 [1]
Major settlements Serowe
Area4,608 km2
Current constituency
Created1965
Party  BPF
Created from Serowe North East
Serowe North West
Abolished1999
Re-established2014
MP Baratiwa Mathoothe
Margin of victory 1,038 (8.2 pp)

Serowe North is a constituency in the Central District represented by Baratiwa Mathoothe, a BPF MP in the National Assembly of Botswana since 2019.

Contents

Constituency profile

Serowe North lies in the Central District and is primarily rural, with the main settlement being the village of Serowe. The constituency is part of the three historically safe BDP seats that flipped to the BPF and had an average swing of 76.7pp towards the BPF. [2] This shift was attributed to the fact that the BaNgwato tribe, of which the Khama family is the royal family, resides in the Serowe area. Prior to Ian Khama's departure from the BDP, the constituency consistently voted for the party by significant margins. However, following the fallout between Ian Khama and President Mokgweetsi Masisi, Khama encouraged people in the Serowe region to vote for the newly formed BPF and this message strongly resonated with the locals. [3]

Serowe North was the constituency of Botswana's first President, Seretse Khama, from 1965 until a constitutional amendment stated that the sitting president could not simultaneously be an elected member of the National Assembly in 1974. As such, it was traditionally always one of the BDP's safest strongholds in the country, with the party rarely obtaining less than 90% of the vote there from its establishment ahead of the inaugural 1965 elections until its last election in 1999 before its abolition ahead of the 2004 elections. The constituency has the following localities:

  1. Moreomabele
  2. Serule
  3. Parts of Serowe
  4. Gojwane
  5. Paje
  6. Mabeleapodi
  7. Majwanaadipitse
  8. Tshimoyapula
  9. Topisi

Members of Parliament

Key:  BDP   BPF

ElectionWinner
1965 election Seretse Khama
1969 election
1974 election Colin Blackbeard
1979 election
1984 election
1989 election Roy Blackbeard
1994 election
1998 by-election Ian Khama
1999 election
2014 election Kgotla Autlwetse
2019 election Baratiwa Mathoothe

Election results

2019 election

General election 2019: Serowe North [4]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
BPF Baratiwa Mathoothe 5,394 42.66 New
BDP Kgotla Autlwetse 4,35634.45–50.95
UDC Keaobaka Kgano1,65613.10+3.62
Independent Dikgakgamatso Seretse9267.32New
AP Dods Selebego3122.47New
Margin of victory1,0388.21N/A
Total valid votes12,64498.97+0.01
Rejected ballots1311.03–0.01
Turnout 12,77583.87+2.38
Registered electors 15,231
BPF gain from BDP Swing +46.81

2014 election

General election 2014: Serowe North [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
BDP Kgotla Autlwetse 9,611 85.40
UDC Dods Selebogo1,0679.48
BCP Motswakhumo Basego5765.12
Margin of victory8,54475.92
Total valid votes11,25498.96
Rejected ballots1181.04
Turnout 11,37281.49
Registered electors 13,955
BDP notional hold

1999 election

General election 1999: Serowe North [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
BDP Ian Khama 5,430 92.02 +4.72
BNF S. G. Ramaribana3294.74−7.96
BCP Toro Lesego2253.24−9.46
Margin of victory5,10187.28+12.68
Total valid votes6,94696.19N/A
Rejected ballots2753.81N/A
Turnout 7,22173.27+10.2
Registered electors 9,856
BDP hold Swing +6.34

1994 election

General election 1994: Serowe North [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
BDP Roy Blackbeard 5,430 87.3 −5.17
BNF Toro Lesego79012.7+5.17
Margin of victory4,64074.6−10.34
Turnout 6,22063.07−5.39
Registered electors 9,862
BDP hold Swing −5.17

1989 election

General election 1989: Serowe North [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
BDP Roy Blackbeard 7,036 92.47 −3.1
BNF Abednico Masalila5737.53+3.1
Margin of victory6,46384.94−6.2
Turnout 7,60968.46−15.54
Registered electors 11,114
BDP hold Swing −3.1

1984 election

General election 1984: Serowe North
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
BDP Colin Blackbeard 8,033 95.57 −3.53
BNF Modiri Khama3724.43+3.53
Margin of victory7,66191.14−7.06
Turnout 8,40584.00+24.54
Registered electors 10,006
BDP hold Swing −3.53

1979 election

General election 1979: Serowe North
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
BDP Colin Blackbeard 4,352 99.10 +0.25
BNF T. E. Kuhlman500.90−0.25
Margin of victory4,30298.2+0.5
Turnout 6,48159.46+22.42
Registered electors 10,900
BDP hold Swing +0.25

1974 election

General election 1974: Serowe North [8]
PartyCandidateVotes%
BDP Colin Blackbeard 3,360 98.85
BNF T. E. Kuhlman391.15
Margin of victory3,32197.7
Turnout 3,38937.04
Registered electors 9,149
BDP hold

1969 election

General election 1969: Serowe North [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%
BDP Seretse Khama Walkover N/A
MajorityN/AN/A
Registered electors 5,437
BDP hold

1965 election

General election 1965: Kanye South [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%
BDP Seretse Khama 5,909 98.47
BIP K. K. Motshedisi530.88
BPP K. T. Moletsane390.65
Margin of victory5,85697.59
Turnout 6,001N/A
Registered electors N/A
BDP win (new seat)

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References

  1. ↑ 2022 DELIMITATION COMMISSION REPORT (PDF). 2022. p. 46.
  2. ↑ Seabo, Batlang; Nyenhuis, Robert (2021-11-23). "Botswana's 2019 General Elections: A Referendum on General Ian Khama". African Studies Review. 64 (4): 854–883. doi:10.1017/asr.2021.69. ISSN   0002-0206. S2CID   244539238.
  3. ↑ Basimanebotlhe, Tsaone (2022-10-10). "Serowe constituencies vulnerable as BPF rumpus continues". Mmegi Online . Retrieved 2023-06-16.
  4. ↑ Independent Electoral Commission - Botswana National Assembly, 2019
  5. ↑ Independent Electoral Commission - Botswana National Assembly, 2014
  6. ↑ Independent Electoral Commission - Botswana National Assembly, 1999
  7. 1 2 Results by constituency
  8. ↑ Report to the Minister of State on the general elections, 1974 (PDF). Supervisor of Elections. 1974.
  9. ↑ "Report on the General Elections 1969" (PDF). 1969.
  10. ↑ Gossett, Charles W.; Kebapetse, Lotshwao (21 April 2013). "Report on the 1965 General Election and the 1966 Local Government Election". Botswana Notes & Records. 41. Rochester, NY: Social Science Research Network (published 2009): 17. SSRN   2254423 . Retrieved 2024-01-27.
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