# Serowe North

Serowe North is a constituency in the Central District represented by Baratiwa Mathoothe, a BPF MP in the National Assembly of Botswana since 2019.

## Constituency profile

Serowe North lies in the Central District and is primarily rural, with the main settlement being the village of Serowe. The constituency is part of the three historically safe BDP seats that flipped to the BPF and had an average swing of 76.7pp towards the BPF. This shift was attributed to the fact that the BaNgwato tribe, of which the Khama family is the royal family, resides in the Serowe area. Prior to Ian Khama's departure from the BDP, the constituency consistently voted for the party by significant margins. However, following the fallout between Ian Khama and President Mokgweetsi Masisi, Khama encouraged people in the Serowe region to vote for the newly formed BPF and this message strongly resonated with the locals.
Serowe North was the constituency of Botswana's first President, Seretse Khama, from 1965 until a constitutional amendment stated that the sitting president could not simultaneously be an elected member of the National Assembly in 1974. As such, it was traditionally always one of the BDP's safest strongholds in the country, with the party rarely obtaining less than 90% of the vote there from its establishment ahead of the inaugural 1965 elections until its last election in 1999 before its abolition ahead of the 2004 elections.
The constituency has the following localities:
* Parts of Serowe
* Paje
* Mabeleapodi
* Tshimoyapula

## Members of Parliament

Key:  BDP BPF
| Election | Winner |
| 1965 election | Seretse Khama |
| 1969 election | Seretse Khama |
| 1974 election | Colin Blackbeard |
| 1979 election | Colin Blackbeard |
| 1984 election | Colin Blackbeard |
| 1989 election | Roy Blackbeard |
| 1994 election | Roy Blackbeard |
| 1998 by-election | Ian Khama |
| 1999 election | Ian Khama |
| 2014 election | Kgotla Autlwetse |
| 2019 election | Baratiwa Mathoothe |
| 2024 election | Baratiwa Mathoothe |

## Election results
### 2024 election

General election 2024: Serowe North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | BPF | Baratiwa Mathoothe | 7,635 | 63.66 | +21.00 |
| | BDP | Ogaketse Mathware | 2,799 | 23.34 | −11.11 |
| | BCP | Matthews Batsalelwang | 1,126 | 9.39 | N/A |
| | BRP | Kabelo Pusoetsile | 433 | 3.71 | N/A |
| Margin of victory | Margin of victory | Margin of victory | 4,836 | 40.32 | +32.11 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 11,993 | 99.24 | +0.27 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 92 | 0.76 | −0.27 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,085 | 81.49 | −2.38 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,830 | | |
| | BPF hold | BPF hold | Swing | +16.06 | |

### 2019 election

General election 2019: Serowe North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | BPF | Baratiwa Mathoothe | 5,394 | 42.66 | New |
| | BDP | Kgotla Autlwetse | 4,356 | 34.45 | –50.95 |
| | UDC | Keaobaka Kgano | 1,656 | 13.10 | +3.62 |
| | Independent | Dikgakgamatso Seretse | 926 | 7.32 | New |
| | AP | Dods Selebego | 312 | 2.47 | New |
| Margin of victory | Margin of victory | Margin of victory | 1,038 | 8.21 | N/A |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 12,644 | 98.97 | +0.01 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 131 | 1.03 | –0.01 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,775 | 83.87 | +2.38 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 15,231 | | |
| | BPF gain from BDP | BPF gain from BDP | Swing | +46.81 | |

### 2014 election

General election 2014: Serowe North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | BDP | Kgotla Autlwetse | 9,611 | 85.40 |
| | UDC | Dods Selebogo | 1,067 | 9.48 |
| | BCP | Motswakhumo Basego | 576 | 5.12 |
| Margin of victory | Margin of victory | Margin of victory | 8,544 | 75.92 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 11,254 | 98.96 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 118 | 1.04 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,372 | 81.49 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,955 | |
| | BDP notional hold | BDP notional hold | BDP notional hold | BDP notional hold |

### 1999 election

General election 1999: Serowe North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | BDP | Ian Khama | 5,430 | 92.02 | +4.72 |
| | BNF | S. G. Ramaribana | 329 | 4.74 | −7.96 |
| | BCP | Toro Lesego | 225 | 3.24 | −9.46 |
| Margin of victory | Margin of victory | Margin of victory | 5,101 | 87.28 | +12.68 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 6,946 | 96.19 | N/A |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 275 | 3.81 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,221 | 73.27 | +10.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,856 | | |
| | BDP hold | BDP hold | Swing | +6.34 | |

### 1994 election

General election 1994: Serowe North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | BDP | Roy Blackbeard | 5,430 | 87.3 | −5.17 |
| | BNF | Toro Lesego | 790 | 12.7 | +5.17 |
| Margin of victory | Margin of victory | Margin of victory | 4,640 | 74.6 | −10.34 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,220 | 63.07 | −5.39 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,862 | | |
| | BDP hold | BDP hold | Swing | −5.17 | |

### 1989 election

General election 1989: Serowe North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | BDP | Roy Blackbeard | 7,036 | 92.47 | −3.1 |
| | BNF | Abednico Masalila | 573 | 7.53 | +3.1 |
| Margin of victory | Margin of victory | Margin of victory | 6,463 | 84.94 | −6.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,609 | 68.46 | −15.54 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,114 | | |
| | BDP hold | BDP hold | Swing | −3.1 | |

### 1984 election

General election 1984: Serowe North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | BDP | Colin Blackbeard | 8,033 | 95.57 | −3.53 |
| | BNF | Modiri Khama | 372 | 4.43 | +3.53 |
| Margin of victory | Margin of victory | Margin of victory | 7,661 | 91.14 | −7.06 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,405 | 84.00 | +24.54 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,006 | | |
| | BDP hold | BDP hold | Swing | −3.53 | |

### 1979 election

General election 1979: Serowe North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | BDP | Colin Blackbeard | 4,352 | 99.10 | +0.25 |
| | BNF | T. E. Kuhlman | 50 | 0.90 | −0.25 |
| Margin of victory | Margin of victory | Margin of victory | 4,302 | 98.2 | +0.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,481 | 59.46 | +22.42 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,900 | | |
| | BDP hold | BDP hold | Swing | +0.25 | |

### 1974 election

General election 1974: Serowe North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | BDP | Colin Blackbeard | 3,360 | 98.85 |
| | BNF | T. E. Kuhlman | 39 | 1.15 |
| Margin of victory | Margin of victory | Margin of victory | 3,321 | 97.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,389 | 37.04 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,149 | |
| | BDP hold | BDP hold | BDP hold | BDP hold |

### 1969 election

General election 1969: Serowe North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | BDP | Seretse Khama | Walkover | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | N/A | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,437 | |
| | BDP hold | BDP hold | BDP hold | BDP hold |

### 1965 election

General election 1965: Kanye South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | BDP | Seretse Khama | 5,909 | 98.47 |
| | BIP | K. K. Motshedisi | 53 | 0.88 |
| | BPP | K. T. Moletsane | 39 | 0.65 |
| Margin of victory | Margin of victory | Margin of victory | 5,856 | 97.59 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,001 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | N/A | |
| | BDP win (new seat) | BDP win (new seat) | BDP win (new seat) | BDP win (new seat) |