Tebelelo Seretse, the Proverbial cat with nine lives
Keletso ThobegaBG ReporterThe strides made by Tebelelo Seretse in public office could best be surmised as those of the proverbial cat with nine lives. Every time when it appears that she will hang her boots ( or in this instance, her heels), she returns to public office in a different capacity. Seretse was recently appointed Chancellor of University of Botswana ( UB) following the passing of Linah Mohohlo, former Bank of Botswana Governor, who was UB Chancellor for four years.
Seretse is the second woman Chancellor of UB. Prior to this, Seretse was the first woman appointed Ambassador to the United States of America, a position she held from 2011.
Despite her rich professional resume, Seretse’s appointment as UB Chancellor has been met with mixed feelings from certain quarters, particularly disgruntled insiders who hold the view that her selection was influenced by political expediency, and bemoaned the “regurgitation of the same faces in Botswana’s public office”. The Chancellor position is a ceremonial position carried out at the President’s discretion. According to a statement from the Ministry of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology, Seretse has previously lectured part- time at UB.
But the fact that Seretse was National Coordinator of the 2019 Botswana Democratic Party elections has stirred suspicions that her appointment was a “reward” for her efforts.
In her political career, Seretse was Member of Parliament from 1999 to 2004, during which time she served in different capacities including the Ministry of Presidential Affairs, Transport and Justice.
One of her successes as Minister was her advocacy and initiative in the enlisting of women in the Botswana Defence Force, and also the negotiation of the Partnership Agreement with the United States government to start International Law Enforcement Agency, which is mandated to among other core duties, fight various forms of crime.
Seretse has also had a successful stint in the corporate world prior to entering politics, having worked as senior research officer at Bank of Botswana and as a finance manager at British Petroleum.
She has also practiced law as a senior partner at Seretse Attorneys firm, and is currently an admitted Member of the Botswana Law Society. She also has a wide spectrum of business interests, including being the owner and director of Phomolong in Phakalane, the first private cemetery in Botswana.
Seretse is known to be a hard worker with a feisty personality and a somewhat free spirit. Her public image was once tainted by an infamous incident when she scolded workers for their poor work ethics.
She has also had a few run- ins with different personalities but she always emerged with her chin up. Perhaps she is a ‘ work hard and play harder’ person as she has been snapped on several occasions showing off her joie de vivre, including dancing her feet off at BDP events, with some of the pictures having circulated widely on social media including being turned into memes. Efforts to reach Seretse at the time of print hit a snag, however a close source who also didn’t want their names published said Seretse’s is a story of an ambitious woman with a strong sense of accomplishment.
“She is driven and has never been intimidated by men or played the gender card; she believes that she is just as capable as her male counterparts, and doesn’t allow her gender to be perceived as a weakness… “She steps up and rolls her sleeves to put in the necessary work, as evidenced by her impeccable track record. She has an assertive and strong personality, which sometimes leads to her clashing with some people because she is a direct and firm person, but she is also quite intelligent, excellence- driven and meticulous, which works to her advantage”.