Kagiso Thutlwe this week whitewashed Rhoda Sekgororoane to retain his mayoral position – a move that surprised many; particularly due to his alleged sell out tendencies and the infamous sell out smile. His rendezvous in President Ian Khama’s OK1 jet; dining and wining the city’s elite, the close relations to the ruling party, the condemnation and all – the Gaborone City Mayor will not let go of his signature smile to please anyone, writes DAVE BAAITSE. 

Perhaps everyone believed that he had reached the end of the road and would not see the light of day come election this past week. More often than not, Thutlwe has found himself in hot soup as his comrades accused him of living a life that did not reflect the struggle. 
While he said being elected for yet another term as the city’s Mayor will afford him the opportunity to continue his efforts of transforming Gaborone into a Diamond City, Thutlwe is adamant he will not change his character.

He is of the view that his critics do not understand leadership. The young mayor describes himself as a happy man living a free life.  “People always accuse me of my signature smile, I was born like that and I cannot pretend, that is me,” he said. He challenged WeekendLife to his Facebook timeline to see all pictures of him where he wore the same signature smile in many of his timeline photos. He further stressed that he sees no problem with partying the nights away, as a young man enjoying his bachelorhood.

According to him, he has employed a rather poles apart strategy to engage with the Government of the day to get the job done. “If you differ with people, it does not mean you have to fight them. I am a diehard member of the Botswana National Front (BNF) but I will engage with everyone starting with the President to Cabinet Ministers and everyone else,” he said. He does not shy away from commenting on his partying ways and his love for the devil’s waters. Those are some of the perks that come with being the city’s head boy, he insists.

Recently, a picture of him with former US president George Bush broke the internet-but for all the wrong reasons; it was a meme! His smile had brought him more condemnation, with the picture being captioned ‘The smile of blacks around whites that saw Africans being colonised’. In the photograph, Thutlwe was laughing his lungs out, with his mouth stretched to maximum elasticity.  Commenting on the moment that made him victim to the viral meme world, Thutlwe said that he and former president Bush were only sharing a light moment and Bush had commented that at his age (Thutlwe) he would have not made Mayor in the US.  

Who is Kagiso Thutlwe?

His Worship Kagiso Calvin Thutlwe, 33 is the current Mayor of Gaborone City serving his second term. Born in Mochudi he started his primary school in Shoshong where he met Nehemiah Modubule and was recruited into the United Socialist Party at a tender age. At the time, he said, they were fascinated by singing struggle songs and recruiting more members into the movement and were being led by a veteran politician, an ally of Modubule, George Alfred.

His rise in student politics started as early as his days at Naledi Senior in Gaborone where he made his way into the Council of Students. The journey continued at the University of Botswana (UB) where he was introduced to the political ground and was mentored by some BNF stalwarts of the University at the time, amongst others Nelson Ramaotwana. He said lecturers such as Elmon Tafa and Dr Sebina also helped mentor and refine his ideology as a communist. He also learnt a lot from Bushi Manamola, a former South African Communist who was also a very close ally of the movement. 

Upon his graduation, the former UB Student Representative Council (SRC) President became a BNF activist and won the 2014 General Elections as the Village Ward Councillor in Gaborone and was also elected City Mayor unopposed. He made history becoming one of the youngest Mayors in Africa.   

His role as a Mayor

His biggest role as a Mayor is to supervise the council and to make sure they take services to the people. He said he is mandated to make sure that there are no potholes in the city, roads are well maintained and lights are working perfectly. He pointed that currently one of their challenges is that of lack of offices. He said they have been fighting the issue for a very long time now and during his second term in office he wishes to see that come to pass.

Thutlwe said at the top of his wish list, is seeing their plot at the Central Business District (CBD) being developed. He is also working on the long proposed motion by his predecessor Haskins Nkaigwa to develop the Bus Rank Terminal. He said the terminal can be privatised and benefit a lot of young entrepreneurs.

He said they have also been funded to develop the Bonnington Farm. In Mogoditshane, immediately opposite Grand Palm hotel entrance and the Bonnington shopping mall stands two sets of silo quadrants and a ruined farm house. According to research these were built by Dan Le Cordeur Sr. and his wife Rene a few years after purchasing the farm in 1944. Dan Le Cordeur Sr. was formerly from Capetown but his father was of French Huguenot descent.

Le Cordeur Sr. was a farmer, cattle baron and businessman who at one time owned the entire land from Broadhurst to the foot of Kgale Hill, at least 3 shops in Kgale, Gabane and what is now the Bonnington shopping mall. The site was listed as a National Monument in 2006 and the silos recently restored through the Adopt a Monument Strategy of the National Museum in a collaboration started with Plascon Freeworld, PG Timbers and BMB. The Mayor says he also has plans to create a foundation that will assist struggling students in continuing their education, as well as continue with motivational speaking in schools.