09 Feb 2015

Mr Andy Boatile was on Saturday February 7 re-elected chairman to lead the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) Youth Wing for another two-year term.

Mr Boatile amassed 212 votes, while competitors Messrs Thabo Autlwetse and Mpho Setuke garnered 140 and 51 votes respectively.

Mr Simon Mavange emerged victorious for the secretary general’s position with 231 votes over Mr Lesego Kwambala’s 111 votes.

For the rest of the positions, only one name was nominated per category; resulting in Mr Tuelo Metseyabeng, Ms Khumo Lekoko, Ms One Lekau and Mr Kudzani Tobokwani ascending to the positions of treasurer, vice chairperson, vice secretary and political officer respectively.

Mr Slumber Mokgosi and Ms Goitse Phori were endorsed as projects officer and information officer respectively.

The additional member positions went to Mr Olefile Machona, Ms Josephine Mompati, Mr Tumelo Koolekanye, Mr Sekano Bodio and Mr Matlhogonolo Baleseng.

Speaking after his re-election, Mr Boatile thanked the BDP youth for having trusted him with leading them again, saying it was a great honour to have been given the opportunity to push to completion the projects that had been pending when his chairmanship came to an end.

He assured that their vote would not be in vain as he and his committee would work tirelessly to push for the empowerment of the country’s young people.

Mr Boatile said during his previous tenure as party’s Youth Wing chairperson, they had as a committee not achieved much in the area of pushing for the economic empowerment of the youth, but said they would this time around make this one of their key priorities.

He also informed the delegates at the two-day youth congress that was held in Masunga that the committee would visit all twelve regions to get first-hand information as well as deliberate on issues affecting the party youth.

Addressing those who had contested for positions and lost, Mr Boatile appealed to them not to desert the party, but to understand instead that there could only have been one winner for each of the positions.

He implored them to understand that it was not an issue of someone winning and another losing, but rather that the elections were held to show that the BDP cherished democracy and believed in affording people an opportunity to have their voices head.

For his part, Member of Parliament for Tati West, Mr Biggie Butale thanked the BDP youth for having re-elected Mr Boatile to lead them.

Noting that it was a first in the history of the BDP Youth Wing for a chairperson to be elected twice in succession, he indicated that this was a clear sign that the party youth had confidence in Mr Boatile’s leadership.

He similarly urged the losers not to desert the party on account of their loss, saying the BDP still needed them.

He called on them to support those who had won the way they themselves would have loved to be supported had they been trusted with leading the Youth Wing. ENDS