WHO IS DR. HUBONA?
Botswana’s first woman opposition MP has hope for UDC
She stirred the nation into a national dialogue last week when she called for Botswana to be renamed. With some seeking to know her real claim to political fame, EDWARD BULE revisited her to share a bit on her political journey.
Dr. Habaudi Hubona became the first woman opposition Member of Parliament (MP) in 2014 when she beat her all-male competitors in the Francistown West constituency by-election.
The by-election was occasioned by the death of Tshelang Masisi of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party.
Dr. Hubona’s political consciousness was aroused from a young age. Besides a fight between her grandfather and Bangwato royalty over land, which gave rise to her political consciousness, her aunt also had a very big influence over her political journey.
“My aunt who was a BPP activist, was a ‘prison graduate’ in Francistown. She had been imprisoned after participating in the anti-racism activities led by Philip Matante against the racist practices of the whites in general, and Tati Company in particular, even after independence,” she said.
Her aunt, who died at the age of 98, never wore a red garment because she associated the colour red with the BDP. Ironically, Dr. Hubona’s father, probably because he was an employee of the Haskins and Sons Company, was a BDP member albeit for a short period of time.
“My father never got active in the BDP or in any party for that matter,” explains Dr. Hubona, adding that before her father left the ruling party, he had always wondered why, if the BDP was such a good party, educated people like Ponatshego Kedikilwe and Dr. Kenneth Koma were not joining it.
At the time, while Dr. Koma was in the Botswana National Front (BNF), Kedikilwe was a member of the Botswana Peoples’ Party (BPP).
She would later go to Brighton High School in England for her A-Levels before joining the Royal Free Hospital School, a medical school for women to study medicine, which would instill in her, gender consciousness.
“This school was started by women because the existing medical schools in England would not take women as they were not allowed to do medicine,” revealed Dr. Hubona.
During her stay in England, she interacted with South Africans fleeing racism in their country and even joined some of the anti-apartheid demonstrations.
“I obtained a tape of Nelson Mandela’s speech at the Rivonia Trial. The speech stirred up my political consciousness and the desire to fight injustice,” revealed Dr. Hubona, who is a specialist surgeon.
Dr. Hubona kept a low political profile until only after retirement in April 2001.
“Although I had sympathised with the Botswana People’s Party all along especially on the issue of tribalism, after retirement following my decision to join active politics, I did not join the party because, not only had it waned significantly over the years, I got attracted to the philosophy of social democracy espoused by the Botswana Congress Party (BCP),” Dr. Hubona said.
She was anti-Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) from the onset especially due to the party’s stand on tribal equality.
Her loss to Baledzi Gaolathe in the 2009 general election emboldened her. “Although I lost, I came out of the contest emboldened. Considering the terrain and the fact that Gaolathe was not only a Minister but the Minister of Finance, it was always going to be a difficult contest.
“Gaolathe’s campaign team told the rural voter that if they voted Gaolathe, developments would come because, as Minister of Finance, he decides on the financing of projects,” Dr. Hubona remembered.
Further, she could only campaign after hours or weekends since she had a clinic to run at the time.
Gaolathe was voted by 4444 people while Dr. Hubona was approved by 1395. It was not long before she faced Fidelis Molao in a by-election following Gaolathe’s demise.
Molao got 4575 votes to her 2617. Even before the death of Tshelang Masisi in 2014, many BCP members had been advocating for the ‘relocation’ of Dr. Hubona to Francistown.
The disqualification from the race for Francistown West of Ignatius Moswaane by the courts, worked for her as she clinched the constituency.
“I got a very good reception from the womenfolk in Parliament who were all BDP. I also got good mentoring from people such as Gilson Saleshando who was the then Member of Parliament (MP) for Selibe Phikwe West,” said Hubona who would later lose to Ignatius Moswaane in the 2014 general elections.
“I must admit I did not see the loss coming. I guess I undermined my opponent and became overconfident at the same time. It should also be noted that this was the most difficult election for the BCP,” Dr. Hubona said.
There is a general feeling that the BCP loss was a punishment for the party’s decision to go it alone in the 2014 general election.
Although she will not contest for any position either in the party or nationally, she will remain active in politics.
“I am a veteran and as such, will remain visible as an adviser,” the ever-optimistic Dr. Hubona said. Despite the challenges faced by the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), Dr. Hubona is confident the coalition has a chance to re-energise itself and dethrone the ruling BDP in 2024.