Gaborone Central is a constituency in

Gaborone Gaborone ( , , ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Botswana, largest city of Botswana, with a population of 246,325 based on the 2022 census, about 10% of the total population of Botswana. Its metropolitan area is home to 534, ...

represented in the

National Assembly of Botswana The National Assembly is the sole Legislature, legislative body of Botswana's unicameral Parliament of Botswana, Parliament, of which consists of the President of Botswana, President and the National Assembly. The House passes laws, provides Min ...

by the Minister of International Affairs,

Phenyo Butale Phenyo Butale is a Motswana politician and the current Minister of International Relations of Botswana. He has served as Member of the Parliament of Botswana since 2024 under the Umbrella for Democratic Change. He is also communication specialist, ...

of the

Umbrella for Democratic Change The Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) is a centre-left politics, centre-left to Left-wing politics, left-wing Electoral alliance, alliance of political parties in Botswana. Since the 2024 Botswana general election, the UDC has been the governi ...

since the

2024 general election This is a list of elections that were held in 2024. The National Democratic Institute also maintains a calendar of elections around the world. * 2024 United Nations Security Council election * 2024 national electoral calendar * 2024 local electo ...

Constituency profile

The constituency was created in 1994 as part of an expansion that increased the number of Gaborone constituencies from two to four. It is the swingiest seat in the country, having only re-elected an incumbent once. The constituency is not necessarily

marginal Marginal may refer to: * Marginal (album), ''Marginal'' (album), the third album of the Belgian rock band Dead Man Ray, released in 2001 * Marginal (manga), ''Marginal'' (manga) * ''El Marginal'', Argentine TV series * Marginal seat or marginal c ...

i.e., it usually is won with large majorities. Despite electing MPs with large majorities, these majorities are frequently easily overturned from one election to the next. The constituency serves as a

bellwether A bellwether is a leader or an indicator of trends.bellwether
" ''Cambridge Dictionary''. Re ...

of national electoral trends, with the notable exceptions of 2004 and 2009, when Dumelang Saleshando, the future leader of the

Botswana Congress Party The Botswana Congress Party (BCP) is a social democratic political party in Botswana. Founded in 1998 as a result of a split from the Botswana National Front (BNF), the party attracted most of the BNF's sitting MPs due to a leadership dispute i ...

(BCP), ran a well-organized and "high-profile" campaign in 2004 and became the party’s sole MP in the 9th Parliament. He was re-elected in 2009 with the largest majority ever recorded in the constituency—35 percentage points. However, at the 2014 general election, Saleshando's large majority was overturned as he lost the seat to

of the UDC who benefitted from a combination of sympathy votes following the death of the initial UDC candidate, the

Botswana Movement for Democracy The Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) is a political party in Botswana, founded in 2010 by MPs and other politicians who parted ways with the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) due to differences with Ian Khama, the leader of the BDP and ...

leader,

Gomolemo Motswaledi Gomolemo Thatayaone Motswaledi (19 June 1970– 30 July 2014) was a liberal Motswana politician and music composer who co-founded the Botswana Movement for Democracy in 2010. Motswaledi also co-founded Umbrella for Democratic Change and served as ...

in July, as well as voter dissatisfaction with Saleshando and the BCP for not joining the UDC to form a united opposition against the BDP. Since its creation, the BDP has won the constituency only twice (1999 and 2019), both times with less than 50% of the vote. The constituency is entirely urban and contains a diverse mix of communities. It is home to both the nation's wealthiest suburbs and the city's most impoverished neighbourhoods, as well as the

University of Botswana The University of Botswana (UB) was established in 1982, as the first institution of higher education in Botswana. The university currently has three campuses: one in the capital city Gaborone, one in Francistown, and another in Maun. The Unive ...

and a

Botswana Defence Force The Botswana Defence Force (BDF, ) is the military of Botswana. The main component of the BDF is the Botswana Ground Force; there is also an air wing and a riverine patrol contingent attached to the ground forces, with 10 Panther airboats and 2 ...

encampment. The kaleidoscopic nature of the constituency means it's home to many swing voters and explains its political volatility. It encompasses the following locations: # Station Mall # Main Mall # Botswelelo # Phologolo # Madibeng # Partial # Tshimotharo # Ginger # Maruapula # Broadhurst # Extension 39 # Village # Badiri # Government Enclave

Members of Parliament

Key:

Election results

2024 election

2019 election

2014 election

2009 election

2004 election

1999 election

1994 election

References

{{reflist Parliamentary constituencies of Botswana Constituencies in Gaborone Constituencies established in 1994 1994 establishments in Botswana