RESEGO UNPLUGGED
I would stage a nude protest by myself against Gender Based Violence
Love or hate her, Resego Kgosidintsi (25), aka ‘Petrol Bomb’, the Secretary General of Botswana National Front’s (BNF) Women’s League and a member of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) is in politics to stay.
The feisty young woman with a penchant for telling it like it is has been labelled a feminist, an empty vessel and even a Duma Boko side kick but she is not going to be dissuaded from her cause for social justice. She has been bashed, ridiculed and even detained in a police cell at one point, but she stands resolute in her pursuit of life in politics.In a historic feat, she is even vying for Botswana National Front Youth League presidency at the elections that have since been postponed to a date yet to be determined, because of the Covid-19 related disruptions. Never at any point has the BNF had a woman as President of the Youth League, and her daring decision to plunge into the uncharted waters has evoked muted murmurs. Not many are comfortable with her straight talk. She is constantly accused of having no morals, and labelled a disgrace to womankind. “I am not an empty vessel, I never make uninformed opinions, I am a political science scholar, I was taught comparative analysis from first year. “I speak to issues that people would rather not talk about and it makes them very uncomfortable. Yes, maybe controversial because I speak my mind but I do not make vague opinions,” Kgosidintsi told The Midweek Sun. She believes people find her to be controversial because among others, she addresses issues of abortion, sexuality and women’s rights, which other women would rather not talk about. They also think she is controversial because her approaches are unconventional. “I would stage a nude protest by myself because it’s a unique approach to addressing issues of Gender Based Violence (GBV). I would definitely do it but I know I would be put on the cross and persecuted for it,” she said. And it is not just words that she says here – she once posted a nude picture of herself on facebook with a related message on a placard, to drive her long held view on GBV issues home. Meanwhile, she has observed with great interest that progressive states and individuals use nude
protests to speak against GBV especially rape. Such overboard protests are a way of reminding all and sundry that seeing a nude woman does not mean the woman belongs to you – such protests spark meaningful conversations and get people talking.
Kgosidintsi is is capable of going to great lengths to ensure that women are heard. This is one of the many reasons she has decided to enter a territory heavily laden with the male folk. The political space, she said, is rough on women and made worse by ‘party cultures.’ “Party culture is my biggest challenge, most of my constituents were socialised to believe a woman cannot lead, meaning I have to double my efforts in trying to lure people to my side. I hope to get there and I am very patient with the process of explaining to them why women should lead”, Kgosidintsi said.
She is the first young woman to contest for a high position in a political party and she sees it as a milestone for women in politics across the political sphere.By raising her hand, she is trying to break the glass ceiling for young women, motivate and encourage them to shake up the patriarchy entrenched in the political space.
For far too long, women have been made to believe that they can only be Deputy Secretary Generals and Additional Members in organisations, she said. Should she become president of the BNFYL, she intends to work hard and leave a mark. But what do her parents have to say about this? Could Kgosidintsi be shaming her family with her bold adventures? “I am very proud of my daughter, in fact she is more like me and I have nothing against what she is doing,” said Kgosidintsi’s mother Colline Kgosidintsi. Colline (51), a retired Accountant and now a farmer based in Serowe, also liked politics but never pursued the vocation to the extreme levels her daughter did. Her daughter, she adds, has always been bold and outspoken and they, her parents, admire that about her.
She has never lost an argument and her reasoning has always been always on point, her mother recollects, adding that she was always in the debate teams at school, something that saw her travel to countries such as Ghana and Zimbabwe at a young age. At some point in the early days of her daughter’s political journey, Colline had to sit Resego down to find out if she really wanted to go into politics. Resego assured her that it was what she wanted.
Her father, Bontsibokae Kgosidintsi (55), a teacher in Nata, added that he had tried talking her out of politics but Resego would not budge. She even went as far as studying political science at the University of Botswana to make her intensions even clearer.
He reveals there was no way they could go against her passion lest they find themselves forcing her into a career she would easily abandon and end up roaming the streets.
She was elected UB Student Representative Council’s (SRC) Minister of Information and Publicity during her first year, and then became the first ever woman chairperson of the Movement Against Student Suppression.
She later became Village
Ward Secretary and Treasurer for Gaborone Central and then was elected an additional member of BNF South Central Region. She is currently the Secretary General of BNF Women’s League.
Asked if they were not worried when Kgosidintsi recently spent a night in police custody for allegedly inciting public unrest, the mother said she was at peace with it. “I received calls and I told them to stop worrying, being in jail has given her free knowledge on what happens behind bars as an activist.
One day she will be speaking about it from an informed position,” she said. Her father said he sometimes worries because he does not wish harm on his child and that although they support her dream, he always advises her to tread carefully. They are proud that she is advocating for women visibility. As her parents, they equally wish to see change and perhaps their daughter will be the one to bring it about.
They are not even worried about her approach to issues, while some deem it a bit extreme, they understand that Resego will have to be firm if she is to make it in the world of politics since the environment is not for the faint-hearted – and by no means is she a softie. Meanwhile, a young man who closely follows politics, Nicholas Molokwane of Kanye, thinks that Kgosidintsi is a brilliant young lady with a good future but worries that she often talks loosely or tries too hard tackle issues.
“Sometimes you don’t have to act all macho for people to see that you like your party. She has to observe what it is that people want and try not to destroy the good character that is in her, but in a nutshell she is a lady who gives us hope for change,” he said.
Boitumelo Lekgaotswe of Francistown said they will support Kgosidintsi in her efforts because she is brave and a true soldier. She said it is time Botswana realised the potential in women and it can only happen if more women of Kgosidintsi’s character come out of the closet. Although she intends to keep fighting, Kgosidintsi has had a few low moments in her political career.
She concurs that the political turf is a brutal environment. She has even been accused of sleeping her way up the BNF’s and UDC political ladder.The accusations cut so deep that she eventually avoided being seen in public with her party’s political leaders. It sometimes gets awkward as she has to constantly check herself, careful not to send the wrong impression.
“But hey, women who make history do not succumb to societal pressure,” concluded the never-say-die Kgosidintsi.