19 Jul 2016

The president of the Botswana National Front (BNF) Mr Duma Boko says his party should be united if the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) movement is to emerge victorious in the 2019 general elections.
Officially opening BNF’s 17th elective congress on Saturday at Setlalekgosi Community Junior Secondary School (CJSS) in Francistown under the theme ‘Ensure BNF unity now and UDC victory in 2019,’ Mr Boko said the burden was on the BNF community to provide the much needed support and guidance to the UDC.
“The UDC needs a united and strong BNF and the members of our party need to understand that we have long ceased to be an opposition party, said Mr Boko, who is also the leader of the UDC coalition of BNF, BPP, and BMD.
He said UDC was actually a government in waiting, adding that t being a government in waiting called for a complete change in mindset and the way they operated. They must be seen to be a government  and put in place structures, organs and institutions that demonstrate to the nation that they are ready for the responsibility of leading the country.
“Our technocrats must now step up to the task. All our skilled citizens must now take up their rightful places in the unfolding repertory of institutions and practices that must indicate our readiness to govern,” he added.
Mr Boko regretted the fact that BNF still fell short of the 30 per cent quota regarding the involvement of women in positions of leadership across all structures and organs.
He said that was a challenge they must grapple with and overcome if they were to make meaningful progress as an organization.
The BNF leader also briefed the delegates on the awaited Kopano House, the party’s envisaged head office, which will require P18 million to construct later this year.
He said they had now succeeded in putting together what is called a feasible model in the language of construction financing.
He said the project had already secured not just the anchor tenant but also the rest of the tenants whose rentals will be sufficient to cover the installment for the repayment of the project loan.
“Kopano House will no doubt be a massive asset for our organization. Owing to the complexity and the sensitivity of the project, it has been personally handled by the president and a technical team under the office of the president. We are confident that we will deliver this project,” he assured.
In a solidarity message, Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) vice president, Mr Wynter Mmolotsi said they were happy to be working with the BNF under the UDC and that they would learn from the older party.
“BMD has read the script of the challenges the BNF faced in the past out of which they emerged more united and stronger. We have learnt how to deal with the problems from you,” he noted.
 Mr Mmolotsi said the problems currently afflicting the BMD would soon be over as they intend to take the party back to the people to help resolve the impasse of infighting amongst the members of the national executive committee.
 He said their long term hope was to have a single united party and not the current approach of three individual parties forming the umbrella project.  
The three-day elective congress received messages of solidarity from the Zimbabwe Communist Group, a representative from South Africa, Mr Nicholas Mabena, the South African Communist Party Member of the Executive Committee for Public Works and Transport in the North West Province of South Africa, Mr Madoda Sambatha, the Boycott, Disinvest and Sanctions movement against the occupation of Palestine land by Israel, Mr Katlego Letswalo, as well as the South African and US embassies. ENDS