Salome Lesole – Botswana

Salome Lesole, BDP Councillor in the Central District based in Orapa, was already a seasoned politician by the time she was elected in 2004. She carved out a clear and deliberate path to attain leadership within local government. She started off as a member of a cell committee because her agenda was “to understand how politics works on the ground”. She then moved on become a member of a ward committee, where, she says, “I made sure I was Secretary so that I could have better access to decision making.” She later became a secretary of the branch, and subsequently the region. She is now in the National Women’s Wing, deployed to the Kweneng region.

This background has stood her in good stead within council because she is Vice Chairperson of the Consultative Forum, which consults with communities quarterly at the sub district level. She is also Vice Chairperson of the Trade and Liquor Committee, amongst others. This has ensured that she plays a strategic influential role in the work of the council.

She has made significant achievements during her first term of office. When she was elected as councillor, she brought with her a passion for youth development, persons with disabilities, women’s and children’s rights and workers’ rights. She holds positions of authority within committees of council, and has used her position to addressing pressing needs of communities in a concrete way.

Since 2004, she has been stepping up the registering of orphans, and ensuring that they have access to food at places that are nearer to them. She has worked hard to ensure that persons with disabilities gain recognition and are not hidden away in shame, and have greater access to mobility (wheel chairs), and are also economically empowered to gain independence. She proudly talks of Edwin Phalane who has a disability, and whom she assisted to get a youth grant, and who is now operating an ice cream vending machine and earning an income.

HIV and AIDS is also a priority focus for Lesole, and she supports peer education targeting people in the remote areas, such as cattle posts. She is also linking HIV and AIDS issues to women’s empowerment, promoting safe sex, and female controlled methods of contraception, such as the female condom.

One of her exciting projects was founding a football team, and because of her love for sports, she has provided sports gear to teams, as well as resources. One of her dreams is to support the formation of a women’s football club.