Jump to content

Tswapong South

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Sefhare-Ramokgonami)
Tswapong South
Single-member constituency
for the National Assembly
DistrictCentral District
Population31,771
Major settlementsSefhare
Ramokgonami
Area4,271 km2
Current constituency
Created1965
Party  BCP
MPKesitegile Gobotswang
Margin of victory1,626 (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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

2024 election

[edit]
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

[edit]
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

[edit]
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

[edit]
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

[edit]
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

[edit]
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

[edit]
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

[edit]
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

[edit]
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

[edit]
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

[edit]
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

[edit]
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

[edit]
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

[edit]
  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. ^ a b 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.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tswapong_South&oldid=1292072682"