| Shoshong | |
|---|---|
| Single-member constituency for the National Assembly | |
 Boundary of Shoshong in Botswana | |
| District | Central District |
| Population | 31,267 [1] |
| Area | 10,580 km2 |
| Current constituency | |
| Created | 1965 |
| Party | BDP |
| MP | Aubrey Lesaso |
| Margin of victory | 2,174 (35.4 pp) |
Shoshong is a constituency in the Central District represented in the National Assembly of Botswana by Aubrey Lesaso, a BDP MP and Assistant Minister for Tertiary Education, originally elected as a UDC MP in 2019.
Situated in the southeast of the Central District of Botswana, the Shoshong constituency was established in 1965 for the country's inaugural elections and is one of Botswana's longest extant constituencies.
Reflecting the dominant Ngwato population, the constituency was historically a Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) stronghold. From 1965 to 2014, the BDP consistently garnered an average of 80% of the vote. However, since the turn of the century, the BDP's dominance began to wane, with its vote share decreasing in each subsequent election.
In 2019, echoing a broader trend within the district, a significant political realignment occurred as Ian Khama, paramount chief of the Ngwato tribe fell out with the incumbent president, Mokgweetsi Masisi and leader of the BDP. This political discord impacted the constituency's voting patterns. [2] [3] The 2019 election saw a significant 22-point swing towards the opposition Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) from the BDP, marking their strongest national performance and the first time an opposition party won Shoshong.
The constituency, predominantly rural, encompasses the following villages: [4]
| Election | Winner | |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 election | Goareng Mosinyi | |
| 1969 election | ||
| 1974 election | ||
| 1979 election | ||
| 1984 election | ||
| 1989 election | Esther Mosinyi | |
| 1994 election | Modibedi Robi | |
| 1999 election | Gobopang Lefhoko | |
| 2004 election | ||
| 2009 election | Dikgang Makgalemele | |
| 2014 election | ||
| 2019 election | Aubrey Lesaso | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UDC | Aubrey Lesaso | 8,437 | 65.02 | +22.69 | |
| BDP | Dikgang Makgalemele | 5,377 | 29.61 | −21.78 | |
| AP | Brine Mogametsi | 413 | 5.37 | New | |
| Margin of victory | 2,174 | 35.40 | N/A | ||
| Total valid votes | 12,977 | 98.39 | +0.50 | ||
| Rejected ballots | 213 | 1.61 | −0.50 | ||
| Turnout | 13,190 | 82.63 | –3.34 | ||
| Registered electors | 15,962 | ||||
| UDC gain from BDP | Swing | +22.24 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BDP | Dikgang Makgalemele | 5,377 | 51.39 | −4.64 | |
| UDC | Aubrey Lesaso | 4,429 | 42.33 | +5.09 | |
| BCP | Pono Magowe | 413 | 3.95 | −2.78 | |
| Independent | Tibe Tibe | 244 | 2.33 | New | |
| Margin of victory | 948 | 9.06 | –9.74 | ||
| Total valid votes | 10,463 | 97.89 | +0.77 | ||
| Rejected ballots | 226 | 2.11 | −0.77 | ||
| Turnout | 10,689 | 85.97 | +9.21 | ||
| Registered electors | 12,434 | ||||
| BDP hold | Swing | −0.23 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BDP | Dikgang Makgalemele | 4,820 | 56.03 | −8.43 | |
| BNF | Aubrey Lesaso | 3,203 | 37.24 | +4.33 | |
| BCP | Senalebeng Mokgosi | 579 | 6.73 | −0.03 | |
| Margin of victory | 1,617 | 18.80 | −8.62 | ||
| Total valid votes | 8,602 | 97.12 | −0.94 | ||
| Rejected ballots | 255 | 2.88 | +0.94 | ||
| Turnout | 8,857 | 76.76 | −4.74 | ||
| Registered electors | 11,538 | ||||
| BDP hold | Swing | −2.05 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BDP | Gobopang Lefhoko | 3,391 | 64.46 | −5.58 | |
| BNF | Patrick Malakaila | 1,850 | 32.91 | +6.92 | |
| BCP | Gontlefela Mokongwa | 380 | 6.76 | +2.79 | |
| Margin of victory | 1,541 | 27.42 | −16.63 | ||
| Total valid votes | 5,621 | 98.06 | +3.30 | ||
| Rejected ballots | 362 | 1.94 | −3.30 | ||
| Turnout | 5,983 | 81.50 | +7.28 | ||
| Registered electors | 7,341 | ||||
| BDP hold | Swing | +0.67 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BDP | Gobopang Lefhoko | 4,589 | 70.04 | −3.36 | |
| BNF | D. T. Morotsi | 1,703 | 25.99 | −0.61 | |
| BCP | S. J. Mphoyakgosi | 260 | 3.97 | New | |
| Margin of victory | 2,886 | 44.05 | −2.74 | ||
| Total valid votes | 6,552 | 94.76 | N/A | ||
| Rejected ballots | 362 | 5.24 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 6,914 | 74.22 | +1.81 | ||
| Registered electors | 9,315 | ||||
| BDP hold | Swing | −1.38 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BDP | Modibedi Robi | 4,315 | 73.40 | −12.40 | |
| BNF | Bailekae Ramahosi | 1,564 | 26.60 | +12.40 | |
| Margin of victory | 2,751 | 46.79 | −24.81 | ||
| Turnout | 5,879 | 72.41 | +10.13 | ||
| Registered electors | 8,119 | ||||
| BDP hold | Swing | –12.40 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BDP | Esther Mosinyi | 3,910 | 85.80 | −11.16 | |
| BNF | Bailekae Ramahosi | 647 | 14.20 | +11.16 | |
| Margin of victory | 3,263 | 71.60 | −22.33 | ||
| Turnout | 4,557 | 62.28 | −11.01 | ||
| Registered electors | 7,317 | ||||
| BDP hold | Swing | –11.16 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BDP | Goareng Mosinyi | 4,630 | 96.96 | +0.17 | |
| BNF | Bailekae Ramahosi | 145 | 3.04 | −0.17 | |
| Margin of victory | 4,485 | 93.93 | +0.36 | ||
| Turnout | 4,775 | 73.29 | +3.97 | ||
| Registered electors | 6,515 | ||||
| BDP hold | Swing | +0.17 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BDP | Goareng Mosinyi | 4,909 | 96.79 | +2.17 | |
| BIP | M. M. Tlale | 163 | 3.21 | −2.17 | |
| Margin of victory | 4,746 | 93.57 | +4.33 | ||
| Turnout | 5,072 | 69.32 | +32.42 | ||
| Registered electors | 7,317 | ||||
| BDP hold | Swing | +2.17 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BDP | Goareng Mosinyi | 2,885 | 94.62 | −1.25 | |
| BIP | M. M. Tlale | 164 | 5.38 | +1.25 | |
| Margin of victory | 2,721 | 89.24 | −2.51 | ||
| Turnout | 3,049 | 36.90 | −26.97 | ||
| Registered electors | 8,262 | ||||
| BDP hold | Swing | –1.25 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BDP | Goareng Mosinyi | 4,274 | 95.87 | +1.39 | |
| BIP | M. M. Tlale | 184 | 4.13 | −0.39 | |
| Margin of victory | 4,090 | 91.75 | +0.79 | ||
| Turnout | 3,423 | 63.87 | N/A | ||
| Registered electors | 6,980 | ||||
| BDP hold | Swing | +0.89 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BDP | Goareng Mosinyi | 6,295 | 95.48 | ||
| BIP | M.M. Tlale | 298 | 4.52 | ||
| Margin of victory | 5,997 | 90.96 | |||
| Turnout | 6,593 | N/A | |||
| Registered electors | N/A | ||||
| BDP win (new seat) | |||||
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