Parliamentary constituency in the Central District of Botswana, 1965–2004, 2014 to present
Serowe North |
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Single-member constituency for the National Assembly |
Boundary of Serowe North |
District | Central |
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Population | 37,879[1] |
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Major settlements | Serowe |
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Area | 4,608 km2 |
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Current constituency |
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Created | 1965 |
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Party | BPF |
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Created from | Serowe North East Serowe North West |
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Abolished | 1999 |
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Re-established | 2014 |
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MP | Baratiwa Mathoothe |
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Margin of victory | 1,038 (8.2 pp) |
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Serowe North is a constituency in the Central District represented by Baratiwa Mathoothe, a BPF MP in the National Assembly of Botswana since 2019.
Constituency profile
Serowe North lies in the Central District and is primarily rural, with the main settlement being the village of Serowe. The constituency is part of the three historically safe BDP seats that flipped to the BPF and had an average swing of 76.7pp towards the BPF.[2] This shift was attributed to the fact that the BaNgwato tribe, of which the Khama family is the royal family, resides in the Serowe area. Prior to Ian Khama's departure from the BDP, the constituency consistently voted for the party by significant margins. However, following the fallout between Ian Khama and President Mokgweetsi Masisi, Khama encouraged people in the Serowe region to vote for the newly formed BPF and this message strongly resonated with the locals.[3]
Serowe North was the constituency of Botswana's first President, Seretse Khama, from 1965 until a constitutional amendment stated that the sitting president could not simultaneously be an elected member of the National Assembly in 1974. As such, it was traditionally always one of the BDP's safest strongholds in the country, with the party rarely obtaining less than 90% of the vote there from its establishment ahead of the inaugural 1965 elections until its last election in 1999 before its abolition ahead of the 2004 elections. The constituency has the following localities:
- Moreomabele
- Serule
- Parts of Serowe
- Gojwane
- Paje
- Mabeleapodi
- Majwanaadipitse
- Tshimoyapula
- Topisi
Members of Parliament
Key: BDP BPF
Election results
2019 election
2014 election
1999 election
1994 election
1989 election
1984 election
1979 election
1974 election
1969 election
1965 election
References
- ^ 2022 DELIMITATION COMMISSION REPORT (PDF). 2022. p. 46.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Basimanebotlhe, Tsaone (2022-10-10). "Serowe constituencies vulnerable as BPF rumpus continues". Mmegi Online. Retrieved 2023-06-16.
- ^ Independent Electoral Commission - Botswana National Assembly, 2019
- ^ Independent Electoral Commission - Botswana National Assembly, 2014
- ^ Independent Electoral Commission - Botswana National Assembly, 1999
- ^ a b Results by constituency
- ^ Report to the Minister of State on the general elections, 1974 (PDF). Supervisor of Elections. 1974.
- ^ "Report on the General Elections 1969" (PDF). 1969.
- ^ 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): 17. SSRN 2254423. Retrieved 2024-01-27.