A little over a year ago, Sethunya Monyatsi was a relative unknown on social media.
That’s all changed since she found her voice after last year’s historic general elections.
Determined to say it exactly as she sees it, the 41-year-old Mapoka makoti has become a formidable force online.
Her TikTok and Facebook following now stands at 51, 000 and is growing by the day.
Despite challenging the status quo and holding the country’s new leaders accountable in the search for social justice, Monyatsi does not regard herself as an activist; instead she is guided by God and a deep desire to see a better Botswana for everyone.
In this interview, Monyatsi opens up about her unwavering faith, the challenges she’s faced, and why she chose conviction over convenience…
First and foremost, who is Sethunya Monyatsi?
I am a mother, a wife and above all a Christian who lives by agape love. Everything I do flows from that love. If I cannot find love or God in something, I step back or I bring God into it. I refuse to shrink myself. I am here to serve, to build and to tell the truth with courage and grace.
How have these three roles shaped you?
Motherhood is my greatest calling. Nothing compares to the joy and responsibility of shaping tomorrow’s adults. Marriage has taught me patience, humility and partnership. My faith is my compass. I love Jesus and I try to live that love out loud. I do not speak from anger; I speak because love demands truth.
Where does your passion for leadership accountability and social justice come from?
It never began as activism. I don’t even call myself an activist; I am a person who loves the truth. I believe to whom much is given, much is required. If God has given me the wisdom to see right from wrong, then I must use it. For a long time, I stayed quiet because society tells you not to touch politics or religion. Yet those are the two areas I care about most. I didn’t go looking for these spaces, I found myself in them. It feels like a calling, not a career.
Was there a tipping point that helped you find your voice?
Yes! Before the elections, I saw decisions that felt deeply unfair. People whispered in corridors, but no one dared to speak out. I finally poured everything I had held back for years into one post and it spread everywhere. People called me, worried for my safety. But I was not afraid. If anything happened to me after speaking truth, I knew I could still sleep at night because I had been faithful to what I believed. That was my turning point.
For me, timing is everything. I believe I had been prepared behind the scenes for what God wanted to do in our nation. He was not going to bless us with something as significant as a new government and then leave that blessing unguarded. Every blessing needs a watcher, a voice to stand in the gap and protect it. I happened to be the one who answered that call, at a time when many preferred to remain in honeymoon silence.
Since then, I’ve made a promise to myself: I will speak when it matters, not when it is convenient.
It must be difficult being a rare female voice in a male-dominated and politically sensitive space?
I don’t enter conversations thinking, ‘I am the woman in a male space’. I enter as a voice. Truth does not have a gender. I don’t like groupthink. I refuse to wear the victim label. If I am standing on truth, it does not matter who stands in front of me, man or woman, president or villager.
Many see you as ‘brave’ for your hard-hitting posts – what kind of response have you received from those in power and their supporters?
I know leaders see my content. I am grateful that I have not been directly intimidated by them. But I have faced insults and even death threats from supporters. The sadness for me is not fear. It is realising how intolerant we’ve become, that we cannot accept a different view, even when it makes sense.
I am also fully aware that some leaders may view me as a tool they can use to peddle their own agendas. That is one thing I guard my heart and ears against daily. I speak only on what I believe God has laid on my heart, not on what others want me to say. My convictions guide me and my voice is not for sale, no matter the price. The only price I am willing to pay is with my life, not money, not positions.
Bravery is not the absence of fear, it is the courage to listen to conviction even when there is a threat to your comfort.
How does your Christian faith guide your approach to public debates?
My belief in God is the reason I do what I do. I believe I am a watcher on the watchtower. God cares about our politics, our welfare, and our leadership. When I speak, I allow myself to be a vessel. I don’t speak to destroy. I speak to correct, protect and build. Prayer gives me the timing and the words. God’s will is my guide.
What challenges do you face reconciling faith and activism?
I view my work as purpose. And my faith drives what some may call activism. When I speak truth, I am not ‘activating’, I am fulfilling purpose.
You’ve spoken on sensitive topics. What drives you to comment even when it invites criticism?
If everyone agrees with me, something is wrong. Criticism sharpens my thinking. I welcome respectful debate. I learn a lot from my critics. We can disagree and still keep our dignity. If it becomes disrespectful, that’s where I draw the line. But as a nation, we grow when ideas collide and people remain human.
And how do you handle the backlash?
I don’t live in the comments. I say what I believe, I listen for truth in other views and I move forward. I am ‘uncancelable’. I was not appointed by men and I do not seek approval or popularity. Only God made me. I fear Him more than I fear headlines or backlash.
How do you approach issues like Gender-Based Violence?
GBV is not a slogan. It destroys families. This is not just women as victims, men also suffer GBV in silence and rarely raise alarm. Until we are all sober enough to admit that, we will not solve it. I don’t believe GBV will be ended by us screaming louder or holding banners. It will end when all of us come to the table with a mindset willing to take responsibility for the actions that trigger it and when we commit to healing.
A holistic approach must deal with root causes and triggers, because you cannot solve a problem you are not willing to face at its source and I don’t think we are ready for that conversation as a nation.
What is your message to leaders and policymakers?
Power is not ownership of the people, it is stewardship. You are not there for donors or friends. You are there for the people. When leaders remember that, they can admit wrong, correct course and still be respected. I respect the leader who says, ‘I thought I was right, I was wrong and here is how I will fix it’.
Your comments on the assassination of controversial American political activist, Charlie Kirk caused quite a stir. There were reports you even blocked celebrity blogger, Raymond Setlhomo. What point were you trying to make with that post, and what lesson were you hoping the public would take from it?
I am a principled person. I do not celebrate death, ever. That day I set a boundary and blocked accounts that crossed that line, not out of anger, but out of conviction. I carry no personal issue with Setlhomo. But my principles are not up for negotiation. They do not bend based on who is involved, whether it is someone I like or not. I do not bend on principle. I believe conviction has to stand above convenience.
Later, after counsel from people I respect, I unblocked and apologized to him for the act of blocking, not for the value behind it. We can disagree strongly without dehumanizing. Let your yes be yes, your no be no.
Aside from your ‘watchdog’ duties, what else do you do?
I am the founder of The Iconic Digital CEO, an online school where I teach digital and AI skills. My goal is to help people earn without waiting for permission from an employer.
Justice without empowerment is incomplete. Skills are the new oil. They put bread on the table, dignity in the home and momentum in the nation. I balance everything by protecting my quiet time and letting purpose decide my priorities.
Why is equipping people with hard skills so important to you?
Because teaching a person to fish is freedom. Skills cannot be taken away. Whether government changes or not, a skill can feed a family. Many fights at home are fueled by financial pressure. When people earn, tension reduces. If Botswana wants a digital economy, then people must be comfortable using the internet to sell their skills, not just scroll. My school exists to make that real.
What do Botswana’s youth need most to be ready for the future?
Self-belief, not government belief.
I grew up without a radio or a TV. I touched a computer for the first time at university. I grew up in an era of a payphone. Today the internet is in your pocket. Youth today have advantages most of us never had, everything they need is already at their fingertips.
Don’t wait for permission. Discover your God-given talent, learn high-value skills and use the internet for building, not just for memes. The future is not later. The future is now.
What’s next for Sethunya Monyatsi? Are there new projects or initiatives on the horizon?
Scaling The Iconic Digital CEO across Africa and the world. I want ordinary people to become income creators with digital and AI skills. A book will come when the time is right. I am also releasing a high-performance planner so people can set goals and execute daily, like having a coach on your desk. With The Iconic Digital CEO, I am building something that outlives me.
If you had to distill your life’s work into one guiding principle, what would it be?
Love God. Love people. Tell the truth. My husband once told me, just love people and everything else will fall into place. That stayed with me.
I believe the truth sets us free, especially when it is spoken out of love. That is the principle I live by.
What legacy do you want to leave for Botswana?
I want a Botswana where leaders fear betraying the people. Where both men and women walk in power with grace. Where youth raise their hands and are counted. I want voters who respect their vote so much that politicians must compete honestly for it. I want to be remembered as courageous, faithful to my word and unafraid of speaking truth even if it costs me my life. A woman who stood when it mattered and loved beyond measure. I am here because God sent me to love people with truth and to multiply courage until it becomes normal in Botswana.
