Gaborone South

Gaborone South is a constituency in Gaborone City represented in the National Assembly of Botswana by Nelson Ramaotwana of the UDC since 2024.

Gaborone South
Single-member constituency for the National Assembly
District	Gaborone
Population	42,519
Major settlements	Gaborone
Area	44 km2
Current constituency
Created	1984
Party	UDC
Created from	Gaborone
MP	Nelson Ramaotwana
Margin of victory	4,740 (37.3 pp)

Constituency profile

The constituency was originally created in 1984, following the division of the single constituency of Gaborone and has undergone multiple changes in its size and composition. Gaborone South was a safe seat for the BNF between 1984 and 2009.^[1] It was the seat of Kenneth Koma, president of the BNF and Leader of the Opposition between 1984 and 2003. In 2009 it was narrowly won by Kagiso Patrick Molatlhegi of the BDP and has since become in a marginal BDP seat. Molatlhegi was re-elected in 2014 and succeeded in 2019 by Dumezweni Mthimkhulu, also from the BDP. The UDC flipped the seat in 2024 with a large majority.

The urban constituency encompasses the following locations:^[2][3]

1. Selemela
2. Dilalelo
3. Old Industrial
4. White City
5. Bontleng
6. Boitshoko
7. Mophato
8. Old Naledi
9. Babusi
10. Village

Members of Parliament

Key:   BNF   BDP   UDC

Election	Winner
1984 election		Peter Mmusi (annulled)
1984 election		Kenneth Koma
1989 election
1994 election
1999 election
2004 election		Akanyang Magama
2009 election		Kagiso Molatlhegi
2014 election
2019 election		Dumezweni Mthimkhulu
2024 election		Nelson Ramaotwana

Election results

2024 election

General election 2024: Gaborone South^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	UDC	Nelson Ramaotwana	7,668	60.31	+18.21
	BDP	Alex Moatlhaping	2,928	23.03	−30.61
	BCP	Oral Mosedame	1,742	13.70	N/A
	Independent	Kesego Okie	220	1.73	N/A
	Independent	Mofenyi Bakwena	131	1.03	N/A
	Independent	Boitshoko Monare	26	0.20	N/A
Margin of victory			4,740	37.28	N/A
Total valid votes			12,715	97.76	−1.42
Rejected ballots			292	2.24	+1.42
Turnout			13,007	74.94	−5.60
Registered electors			17,357
	UDC gain from BDP		Swing	+24.41

2019 election

General election 2019: Gaborone South^[5]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	BDP	Dumezweni Mthimkhulu	6,066	53.64	+19.36
	UDC	Nelson Ramaotwana	4,761	42.10	+9.97
	AP	Oabile Mafunga	413	3.65	N/A
	BMD	Bagaisi Mabilo	68	0.60	N/A
Margin of victory			1,305	11.54	+9.39
Total valid votes			11,308	99.18	−0.06
Rejected ballots			93	0.82	+0.06
Turnout			11,401	80.54	−3.15
Registered electors			14,104
	BDP hold		Swing	+14.67

2014 election

General election 2014: Gaborone South^[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	BDP	Kagiso P. Molatlhegi	3,872	34.28	−6.83
	UDC	Murray Moemedi Ditape	3,629	32.13	−1.89
	BCP	Akanyang Magama	2,318	20.52	−4.35
	Independent	Dumezweni M. Mthimkhulu	1,475	13.06	N/A
Margin of victory			243	2.15	−4.94
Total valid votes			11,294	99.24	+0.17
Rejected ballots			86	0.76	−0.17
Turnout			11,380	83.69	+9.24
Registered electors			13,597
	BDP hold		Swing	−4.36

2009 election

General election 2009: Gaborone South^[7]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	BDP	Kagiso P. Molatlhegi	2,853	41.11	+6.02
	BNF	Akanyang Magama	2,361	34.02	−8.74
	BCP	Kgoberego Nkawana	1,726	24.87	+20.12
Margin of victory			433	7.09	+1.64
Total valid votes			6,940	99.07	+0.05
Rejected ballots			65	0.93	−0.05
Turnout			7,005	74.45	+0.34
Registered electors			9,409
	BDP gain from BNF		Swing	+7.38

2004 election

General election 2004: Gaborone South^[8]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	BNF	Akanyang Magama	2,414	42.76	−14.33
	BDP	G. Matlhabaphiri	1,981	35.09	−3.31
	NDF	Dick Bayford	969	17.16	N/A
	BCP	Rex Ndzinge	268	4.06	+0.69
	MELS	Dithapelo Kgangkenna	14	0.25	N/A
Margin of victory			433	7.67	−11.02
Total valid votes			5,646	99.02	+1.3
Rejected ballots			56	0.98	−1.3
Turnout			5,702	74.11	−4.72
Registered electors			7,694
	BNF hold		Swing	−8.82

1999 election

General election 1999: Gaborone South^[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	BNF	Kenneth Koma	3,742	57.09	−11.65
	BDP	G. Matlhabaphiri	2,517	38.40	+7.66
	BCP	B. P. B. Bagwasi	266	4.06	N/A
	BAM	L. Kuli	30	0.46	N/A
Margin of victory			1,225	18.69	−19.31
Total valid votes			6,555	97.72	N/A
Rejected ballots			153	2.28	N/A
Turnout			6,708	78.83	+0.84
Registered electors			8,509
	BNF hold		Swing	−1.99

1994 election

General election 1994: Gaborone South^[10]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	BNF	Kenneth Koma	4,318	68.74	+10.67
	BDP	Abdul S. Dada	1,931	30.74	−11.19
	UDF	E. Abdulla	33	0.53	N/A
Margin of victory			2,387	38.00	+21.86
Turnout			6,282	77.99	+5.80
Registered electors			8,055
	BNF hold		Swing	+10.93

1989 election

General election 1989: Gaborone South^[10]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	BNF	Kenneth Koma	7,595	58.07	+4.34
	BDP	Utlwang G.S. Matlhabaphiri	5,483	41.93	−3.44
Margin of victory			2,112	16.14	+7.78
Turnout			13,078	72.19	+4.33
Registered electors			18,117
	BNF hold		Swing	+3.89

1984 election (rerun)

General election 1984: Gaborone South (rerun)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	BNF	Kenneth Koma	4,771	53.73
	BDP	Peter Mmusi	4,029	45.37
	BPP	Victor Masole	80	1.62
Margin of victory			742	8.36
Turnout			8,880	67.86
Registered electors			13,086
	BNF win (new seat)

1984 election

General election 1984: Gaborone South (annulled)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	BDP	Peter Mmusi	4,645	48.37
	BNF	Kenneth Koma	4,523	47.09
	Independent	Wellie Seboni	280	2.92
	BPP	Víctor Masole	156	1.62
Margin of victory			122	1.28
Turnout			9,604	73.39
Registered electors			13,086