Lobatse (Botswana constituency)

Lobatse
Single-member constituency for the National Assembly
Boundary of Lobatse in Botswana
District	South-East District
Population	30,785
Major settlements	Lobatse
Area	520 km2
Current constituency
Created	1994
Party	BDP
Created from	Lobatse/Barolong
MP	Thapelo Matsheka
Margin of victory	4,467 (41.2 pp)

Lobatse is a constituency in South-East District represented in the National Assembly of Botswana since 2019 by Thapelo Matsheka, a BDP MP.

Constituency profile

The constituency was created for the 1994 elections, in the context of Botswana's increasing urbanization, with the division of Lobatse/Barolong into two proper constituencies. The constituency includes the city of Lobatse and its surrounding rural area. From its creation until 2014 (when BDP won it), Lobatse was a safe seat for the BNF. In 2009 MP Nehemiah Modubule (former Leader of the Opposition and originally from the BNF), ran as an independent and was re-elected, the only time any politician has been elected to the Parliament of Botswana as an independent. The constituency has historically been a fertile site for minority third parties and independents, and since its creation has rarely been contested by fewer than five candidates.

Members of Parliament

Key:   BNF   BDP   Independent

Election	Winner
1994 election		Otlaadisa Koosaletse
1999 election		Nehemiah Modubule
2004 election
2009 election
2014 election		Sadique Kebonang
2019 election		Thapelo Matsheka

Election results

2019 election

General election 2019: Lobatse

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	BDP	Thapelo Matsheka	6,705	61.85	+11.95
	UDC	Orapeleng Kakoma	2,238	20.65	−24.80
	Independent	Kamal Jacobs	1,413	13.04	N/A
	AP	Shaffi Pandor	238	2.20	N/A
	BMD	Nehemiah Modubule	166	1.53	−43.92
	BPF	Kader Badat	40	0.37	N/A
	Independent	Patrick Kebailele	40	0.37	N/A
Margin of victory			4,467	41.20	+36.75
Total valid votes			10,840	99.19	−0.02
Rejected ballots			88	0.81	+0.02
Turnout			10,928	82.15	−3.32
Registered electors			13,302
	BDP hold		Swing	+18.38

2014 election

General election 2014: Lobatse

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	BDP	Sadique Kebonang	5,485	49.90	+8.33
	UDC	Nehemiah Modubule	4,996	45.45	+2.70
	BCP	Ellius Rantleru	511	4.65	−0.20
Margin of victory			489	4.45	N/A
Total valid votes			11,015	99.21	+1.23
Rejected ballots			88	0.79	−1.23
Turnout			11,103	85.47	+11.1
Registered electors			12,991
	BDP gain from UDC		Swing	+5.52

2009 election

General election 2009: Lobatse

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Nehemiah Modubule	4,175	42.75	−7.29
	BDP	Moggie Mbaakanyi	4,060	41.57	+4.76
	BNF	Otlaadisa Koosaletse	1,018	10.42	−39.62
	BCP	Diane Taunyane	474	4.85	−2.17
	BTTO	Kealeboga Modise	40	4.85	−0.13
Margin of victory			115	1.18	−12.05
Total valid votes			9,767	97.98	−0.69
Rejected ballots			201	2.02	+0.69
Turnout			9,968	74.37	+0.05
Registered electors			13,404
	Independent hold		Swing	−6.03

2004 election

General election 2004: Lobatse

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	BNF	Nehemiah Modubule	4,173	50.04	−0.92
	BDP	Moggie Mbaakanyi	3,070	36.81	−4.54
	BCP	Otlaadisa Koosaletse	585	7.02	−0.16
	NDF	Metlhaeno Gaseitsiwe	466	5.59	N/A
	Independent	Kealeboga Modise	45	0.54	N/A
Margin of victory			1,103	13.23	+3.62
Total valid votes			8,339	98.67	+0.53
Rejected ballots			112	1.33	−0.53
Turnout			8,451	76.85	−3.53
Registered electors			10,997
	BNF hold		Swing	−2.73

1999 election

General election 1999: Lobatse

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	BNF	Nehemiah Modubule	3,976	50.96	−5.28
	BDP	Ishoo Abdulla	3,226	41.35	+2.78
	BCP	Otlaadisa Koosaletse	560	7.18	−49.06
	BAM	L. E. Serema	40	0.51	N/A
Margin of victory			750	9.61	−8.06
Total valid votes			7,802	98.14	N/A
Rejected ballots			148	1.86	N/A
Turnout			7,950	80.38	−0.73
Registered electors			9,891
	BNF gain from BCP		Swing	−4.03

1994 election

General election 1994: Lobatse

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	BNF	Otlaadisa Koosaletse	3,813	56.24
	BDP	Ishoo Abdulla	2,615	38.57
	PUSO	Nehemiah Modubule	265	3.91
	IFP	M.E. Galetshoge	49	0.72
	BPP	W. Kumbulani	38	0.56
Margin of victory			1,198	17.67
Turnout			6,780	81.11%
Registered electors			8,359
	BNF win (new seat)