BNF intact, resilient under Boko
Justin Hunyepa | Monday March 7, 2022 06:00
The 2019 general election saw the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) systematically rigging elections assisted by some state organs in the BNF-managed constituencies in the southern part of the country.
The courts of law regrettably refused the electoral evidence to be presented before them. The BNF has successfully held its statutory conferences and congresses all these years under Boko. While the ruling party has broken several times leading to the formation of BMD and BPF, Boko has kept the BNF united and attractive. Still under Boko’s leadership, the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) was born, and despite the several severe storms that have threatened to break it, Boko has kept it united and robust.
The elusive opposition parties’ unity has therefore, been achieved with resounding success. For the first time in the history of Botswana opposition politics, Boko successfully steered a united umbrella party, a feat that has been elusive for decades now. And the BNF has defended and sacrificed for this unity initiative, remaining fixed and committed to this project.
The UDC today is the darling of Batswana across the political divide, and the only hope and alternative for the citizens’ emancipation from the BDP misrule. The popularity of the UDC has proven that no opposition party will survive outside this united front. It is public knowledge that the UDC did very well in 2014 and 2019 general elections and was only robbed by the massive BDP rigging machinations.
It is therefore, grossly misleading and incorrect for Baatlhodi ‘Bucks’ Molatlhegi to make announcement on public media platforms claiming that the BNF is in ICU. While it is democratic for members to stand for any party position, we advise BNF members to resist temptations of undermining the party in public platforms as per the party’s guiding principles.
*JUSTIN HUNYEPA is Botswana National Front information and publicity secretary.