WOMAN OF DESTINY

Mrs Rosemary Mukwewa was born in 1955 in rural village called Mathangwane, Botswana. She did her Cambridge and went to Swaziland to do Public Administration certificate at OM – Organization and Methods. Where in Botswana is called IDM( Institute of Development Management ). Then she did certificate in urban Development ( housing management course ).Then she went to Zimbabwe for PPADB course ( Public Procurement & Asset Disposal Board, after which she attended a lot of workshops to enhance her skills. She is Married to Aiden Cuthbert Mukwewa a chemical engineer graduate of Lufbra University In the UK. They have four children, one a chartered accountant, one a graduate from Canada, one is studying Economics in Malaysia and the last one is at the University of Botswana studying finance.

Her life began in 1974 where she worked as an administration officer. In 2004 she was nominated a councilor under Botswana Democratic Party ticket. While at the council she chaired the education committee for five consecutive years and later became the chairperson of town Planning Development Works. She was moved to become deputy chairperson of health, social services and works committee. In 2008 she was appointed to the new office as a Town Mayor. However while still in council Mrs Mokwewa opened a business of her own. She opened a catering Office with catering equipment.
Also while still at the council she was appointed a leader of Bala Women‘s Commission. This was meant to sensitize women on grassroots. She launched Bala Women‘s Commission in South Africa, who were actually bench marking on them and also in Ghana and unfortunately she could not make it to Nigeria. This was due to the fact that her turn was over at Selibe – Phikwe Town Council and Bala Women‘s Commission was an association for the councils, under Botswana local Government Association. She agrees that Bala women ‘s commission is still there, its only that she is no longer involved in that. Mrs Mukwewa retired in 2003 to take on farming projects.

In 2009 she joined the piggery farming group, where she was chosen the chairperson of the association called Badikolobeng Piggery. She smiles all the time as we keep on talking about the farming group. Her intension as a farmer is to open an abattoir for pigs which will be one of its own kind. She has networked with women‘s Affairs Department in Selibe – Phikwe so that they can become farmers with the intent of the facility that they want to do. She states that it will be a component of an abattoir and a meet processing plant. She says the meat product will be sold locally, regionally and internationally as they have identified market in China. A company which will be subsidiary of Badikolobeng Piggery in which she is involved will be producing feeds, for pigs, poultry, ostrich and sunflower.
In responding questions about women in her community she states that she is going to make every woman in this community rich. As she embarks on Agriculture, she relates that it does not matter much about qualifications therefore any woman disadvantaged things will be made accessible to her so that poverty will be eradicated.( all of a sudden Mrs Mukwewa stands on her feet, she utters some words to herself I could hardly hear her, she grins and looks that way, she says I don’t know what, how to start this……..) Mrs Mukwewa is so disgusted by the way girls around her are treated. She has seen too much beyond her control. She has decided to take over girl child by empowering them to come out of poverty. These girls are young farmers. She teaches them a lot so that they can stand on their own. Rather than being made to indulge in sex before marriage as is always the case. She also provides special care to a girl child who has been disadvantaged. She says “ can you imagine such a big man your father’s age, I saw them last year, this man had a girl friend who works for the BCL mine but once she is gone you will see this girl still in her school uniform, that man kissing the girl like nobody ‘s business. Yet they knew what they were doing was not right and these are some of the challenges that steals our joy and pride as mothers ‘’. Moreover she also sites out that the official closing date of the mine has been pronounced, 2013 .Here her dream becomes more diverse as it is when girl child will be enjoying the fruits of their labour. Her vision is to see poverty eradicated by involving in Agriculture.

Mrs Mukwewa also liaises with SPEDU ( Selibe – Phikwe Economic Diversification Unit ) which has been mandated by the government to diversify the economy of this town when the mine collapses. Spedu has been also set up to help or assist in the application of loans and plots for the residents of this town. She explains her passion for her community that she wants to achieve a lot. She says she wants to empower women economically because men in this community abuse women because they are not economically fit in this society. With farming she believes she can overcome poverty as long as these women will to follow her leadership. The following day we went to her farm where I found pigs and their sterns, home brewed fowls, her farm house, and hectares for ploughing including farm workers. It was really a beautiful place with a small hill behind the house which depicts its beauty.
Her biggest Challenge in trying to unleash her potential for excellence or to accomplish her goals, is the Botswana ‘s biggest issue HIV/AIDS more especially in her region. There is a serious challenge of medical check ups, collection of ARV Drugs, however life seems to be meaningful when they have achieved all their duties at the end of the day. Land issues and infrastructural Development remains a threat to their goals. She states that Botswana is still a dark country unlike in South Africa where the whole country is networked with power. Also the constitution of Botswana is a serious problem. The legislative law is not friendly to women – in case a woman wants a loan nothing cannot be done in the absence of her spouse. The documents must be first signed by the husband. She wishes only if the law could be abolished they would never experience any delays in their procedures. As HIV/AIDS is a devastating experience in this town, she says she does not discriminate anyone, she welcomes everyone in the society, women are welcome even the affected, we mingle with them with love and respect. In this way they can benefit from those existing in the group. Moreover she states that illiteracy is another problem. Mrs Mokwewa talks about women who are reluctant to go with her move as she wants to empower them. They murmur words of failure and complain without ceasing. She reveals this with pain since the very women she wants to impact and aims to empower economically are the ones who reject her advices only because of illiteracy. She says the illiterate are always difficult.
She searches her books and files on her bookshelf where she brought out a pamphlet, written PRESENTATION TO THE SALGA WOMEN IN PROVINCIAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTSUMMIT

16TH – 18TH AUGUST 2009

BLOEMFONTEIN, SOUTH AFRICA,

BY BALA WOMEN ‘S COMMISSION - BOTSWANA

ROSEMARY MUKWEWA,

HONOURABLE COUNCILOR

SELIBE – PHIKWE TOWN COUNCIL

I was so excited to have the privilege of seeing the speech she presented. While still in awe, she quickly headed to her DVD rack, she gave me a brand new DVD written ROAD MAP TO QUALITY, with a picture of a Venda woman. (Also written there, THE SADC PROTOCOL ON GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT) Adopted 17 August 2008.I was very excited, we shook hands and I left to my house.