Tswapong South

Tswapong South
Single-member constituency for the National Assembly
District	Central District
Population	31,771
Major settlements	Sefhare Ramokgonami
Area	4,271 km2
Current constituency
Created	1965
Party	BCP
MP	Kesitegile Gobotswang
Margin of victory	1,626 (10.4 pp)

Tswapong South is a constituency in the Central District represented in the National Assembly of Botswana by Kesitegile Gobotswang, a BCP MP since 2019.

Constituency profile

Situated in the southeast of the Central District of Botswana, the Tswapong South constituency was established in 1965 for the country's inaugural elections and is one of Botswana's longest extant constituencies.

Reflecting the dominant Tswapong population which has largely assimilated with the Ngwato tribe, 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, the BDP's dominance began to wane, with its vote share decreasing in each election since 1984, barring the exception of the 2014 election. The constituency was subject to modest boundary changes and was briefly renamed to Sefhare-Ramokgonami in the run-up to the 2014 general 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. Khama campaigned for the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC)'s parliamentary candidate, Kesitegile Gobotswang during the 2019 election campaign. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

The 2019 election saw a massive 18 percentage point swing against the BDP, marking the first time the BDP lost the constituency, ending the party’s 53-year grip on the constituency. Posterior to the exit of the BCP from the UDC, incumbent MP Gobotswang retained the seat at the 2024 Botswana general election, under the BCP banner.

The constituency, predominantly rural, encompasses the following villages: ^[4]

1. Sefhare
2. Mhalapitsa
3. Maape
4. Ramokgonami
5. Seleka
6. Ngwapa
7. Mokobeng
8. Moshopha
9. Chadibe
10. Matlhako
11. Machaneng
12. Pilikwe
13. Letoreng
14. Sherwood Farms
15. Martin's Drift Border Post

Members of Parliament

Key:  BDP   UDC   BCP

Election	Winner
1965 election		Gaefalale Sebeso
1969 election
1974 election
1979 election
1984 election
1989 election		Pelokgale Selema
1994 election
1999 election
2004 election		Oreeditse Molebatsi
2009 election
2014 election		Dorcas Makgato
2019 election		Kesitegile Gobotswang
2024 election

Election results

2024 election

General election 2024: Tswapong South ^[5]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	BCP	Kesitegile Gobotswang	5,998	38.22	N/A
	UDC	Shadrack Baaitse	4,372	27.86	−34.82
	BDP	Dorcas Makgato	4,050	25.81	−11.51
	BPF	Segaetsho Garekwe	970	6.18	N/A
Margin of victory			1,626	10.36	N/A
Total valid votes			15,693	98.79	−0.24
Rejected ballots			192	1.21	+0.24
Turnout			15,885	85.33	−1.59
Registered electors			18,615
	BCP hold		Swing	N/A

2019 election

General election 2019: Sefhare-Ramokgonami ^[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	UDC	Kesitegile Gobotswang	9,341	62.68	+18.49
	BDP	Dorcas Makgato	5,562	37.32	−18.49
Margin of victory			3,779	25.36	N/A
Total valid votes			14,903	99.03	+1.50
Rejected ballots			146	0.97	−1.50
Turnout			15,049	86.92	+1.26
Registered electors			17,314
	UDC gain from BDP		Swing	+18.49

2014 election

General election 2014: Sefhare-Ramokgonami ^[7]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	BDP	Dorcas Makgato	7,459	55.81	+4.53
	BCP	Kesitegile Gobotswang	5,907	44.19	+2.89
Margin of victory			1,552	11.62	+1.64
Total valid votes			13,366	97.53	0.00
Rejected ballots			339	2.47	0.00
Turnout			13,705	85.66	+10.05
Registered electors			16,000
	BDP hold		Swing	+3.71

2009 election

General election 2009: Tswapong South ^[8]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	BDP	Oreeditse Molebatsi	5,183	51.28	−12.45
	BCP	Kesitegile Gobotswang	4,175	41.30	+16.09
	BNF	Terone Koobonye	750	7.42	−3.64
Margin of victory			1,008	9.98	−28.54
Total valid votes			10,108	97.53	+0.07
Rejected ballots			256	2.47	−0.07
Turnout			10,364	75.61	−3.04
Registered electors			13,707
	BDP hold		Swing	−14.27

2004 election

General election 2004: Tswapong South ^[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	BDP	Oreeditse Molebatsi	5,005	63.73	−7.88
	BCP	Kesitegile Gobotswang	1,980	25.21	+19.52
	BNF	Obonetse Menyatso	869	11.06	−11.64
Margin of victory			3,025	38.52	−10.39
Total valid votes			7,854	97.46	+2.92
Rejected ballots			205	1.94	−2.92
Turnout			8,059	78.65	+3.46
Registered electors			10,247
	BDP hold		Swing	−5.20

1999 election

General election 1999: Tswapong South ^[10]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	BDP	Pelokgale Selema	5,891	71.61	−4.45
	BNF	L.P. Seema	1,867	22.70	−1.24
	BCP	G. Modise	468	5.69	N/A
Margin of victory			4,024	48.91	−3.21
Total valid votes			8,226	94.54	N/A
Rejected ballots			475	5.46	N/A
Turnout			8,701	75.19	−3.52
Registered electors			11,572
	BDP hold		Swing	−1.61

1994 election

General election 1994: Tswapong South ^[11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	BDP	Pelokgale Selema	6,033	76.06	−15.97
	BNF	G. Modise	1,899	23.94	+15.97
Margin of victory			4,134	52.12	−31.94
Turnout			7,932	78.71	+8.14
Registered electors			10,077
	BDP hold		Swing	−15.97

1989 election

General election 1989: Tswapong South ^[11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	BDP	Pelokgale Selema	6,130	92.03	−2.87
	BNF	Obonetse Menyatso	531	7.97	+2.87
Margin of victory			5,599	84.06	−5.74
Turnout			6,661	70.57	−5.12
Registered electors			9,439
	BDP hold		Swing	−2.87

1984 election

General election 1984: Tswapong South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	BDP	Gaefalale Sebeso	5,358	94.90	−2.87
	BNF	Obonetse Menyatso	288	5.10	+2.87
Margin of victory			5,070	89.80	−5.74
Turnout			5,646	75.69	+9.59
Registered electors			7,459
	BDP hold		Swing	−2.87

1979 election

General election 1979: Tswapong South ^[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	BDP	Gaefalale Sebeso	5,223	97.77	+2.18
	BNF	D. Ontumetse	119	2.23	N/A
Margin of victory			5,104	95.54	+4.36
Turnout			5,342	66.10	+33.92
Registered electors			8,802
	BDP hold		Swing	+2.18

1974 election

General election 1974: Tswapong South ^[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	BDP	Gaefalale Sebeso	2,560	95.59	−0.81
	Independent	Obonetse Menyatso	118	4.41	N/A
Margin of victory			2,442	91.18	−1.62
Turnout			2,678	32.18	−25.00
Registered electors			8,322
	BDP hold		Swing	−0.81

1969 election

General election 1969: Tswapong South ^[14]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	BDP	Gaefalale Sebeso	2,998	96.40	+1.73
	BNF	Obonetse Menyatso	112	3.60	N/A
Margin of victory			2,886	92.80	+2.37
Turnout			3,110	57.18	−28.4
Registered electors			5,439
	BDP hold		Swing	+1.19

1965 election

General election 1965: Tswapong South ^[15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	BDP	Gaefalale Sebeso	5,118	94.67
	BIP	D.T. Koloi	229	4.24
	BPP	P. Pudiepatshwa	59	1.09
Margin of victory			4,889	90.43
Turnout			5,406	~85.6
Registered electors			N/A
	BDP win (new seat)

References

1. Gaothobogwe, Monkagedi (2019-04-18). "Khama 'endorse' UDC's Gobotswang". Mmegi Online. Retrieved 2025-05-09.
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 2024-04-12.
4. 2022 DELIMITATION COMMISSION REPORT (PDF). 2022.
5. "Gobotswang wins Tswapong South". DailyNews. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
6. Independent Electoral Commission - Botswana National Assembly, 2019
7. Independent Electoral Commission - Botswana National Assembly, 2014
8. Independent Electoral Commission - Botswana National Assembly, 2009
9. Independent Electoral Commission - Botswana National Assembly, 2004
10. Independent Electoral Commission - Botswana National Assembly, 1999
11. Results by constituency
12. Democracy in the face of a weak Opposition in Botswana, Brian T. Mokopakgosi & Mpho G. Molomo (2000)
13. Report to the Minister of State on the general elections, 1974 (PDF). Supervisor of Elections. 1974.
14. "Report on the General Elections 1969" (PDF). 1969.
15. 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): 54. SSRN   2254423 . Retrieved 2024-04-11.