An affiliate of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), the BNF was founded in 1965 driven by the conviction of providing an alternative government to the late Sir Seretse Khama-led government of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP).
The BNF will use the annual conference to introspect and chart the way forward ahead of the 2024 General Election.
It was under the UDC that for the first time since independence, the opposition coalition unseated the ruling BDP from its Shoshong constituency stronghold in the 2019 General Election before Aubrey Lesaso, the party legislator, crossed the floor to the ruling BDP. The BNF has officially returned to the constituency to make a statement and appeal to the electorate to help it pick the pieces again.
The party’s annual conference is expected to come up with alternatives to the BDP government’s failed promises to the people. Ketlhalefile Motshegwa, the BNF’s secretary-general confirmed to Mmegi this week that the party will hold its conference from July 16, 2023. At the event, party president, Duma Boko is expected to address the nation on alternatives at the Shoshong Senior Secondary School.
The meeting also provides an opportunity for the party to interact with the villagers, as there is a political rally at which the party leadership will share its story with the masses. Motshegwa indicated that the party would also plant trees in the village as a way of giving back to the community. “The party president is also expected to talk unity and emphasise the belief that Botswana as a country needs change,’ said Motshegwa. Friends of the BNF are expected to present fraternal messages. There will also be commissions around the policies of the party on national issues.
Guest speaker at the BNF annual conference is the militant South African Communist Party (SACP) secretary-general Solly Mapaila. The theme of the annual conference is, “Nurturing a political vanguard for socio-economic transformation and prosperity for all.” The conference will also hinge around party issues of the roll out of the BNF strategy and of course consolidating the BNF towards the UDC.
In the afternoon of the day of the official opening, Motshegwa and treasurer-general, Noah Salakae are expected to present pertinent reports on the state of the party. Perhaps, the most important part of the BNF meeting will be the party constitution amendment slated for July 17, 2023 although Motshegwa could not say exactly what parts of the document are up for change preferring to say, “we are not conclusive about it.” He is, however, certain that the party will deal with contradictions noted in the constitution. This move, Motshegwa is adamant is meant to enhance democracy describing his party as membership-centred. The party will therefore, depend on its members on the amendments they deem necessary. He further added that the BNF would re-affirm its position for the UDC as a vehicle to consolidate opposition strength.
The party expects delegates from its structures across the country to grace the important meeting. Boko, who is the BNF and UDC president, takes the party to Shoshong tormented by the reality that removing the BDP from power has been an arduous task to achieve for the opposition. One of the main undoing of the UDC has been vote splitting. Lately, the UDC has blamed systematic vote rigging by the ruling party as another problem area. The UDC petitioned the results of the 2019 General Election and the petitions were unfortunately dismissed before the merits of the cases could be heard. However, national records on the country’s elections show that the opposition has a lot to do.
In 1969 the BNF won three of 31 seats, 1974 (two of 36 seats), 1979 (two of 36 seats), 1984 (four of 38 seats), 1989 (three of 38 seats), 1994 (13 of 44 seats), 2004 (12 of 63 seats), 2009 (six of 63 seats), 2014 (17 of 63 seats) and 2019 (15 of 65 seats). Boko leads the UDC to Shoshong facing a mammoth task of leading the opposition to a possible first victory in next year’s polls. The BDP government holds a record as one of Africa’s longest ruling party as it has been in power for 57 years now.
The UDC is a coalition party consisting of the BNF, the Botswana Peoples Party (BPP) and the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF). Lately, the opposition Alliance for Progressives (AP) has been cooperating with the UDC ahead of coalition talks. Until last year, the BCP, a splinter party from the BNF formed in 1998 after a major split of the latter in Palapye, was a committed member of the UDC before it announced its impending exit. In 2018 the UDC suffered a blow when it was forced to terminate the Botswana Movement for Democracy’s (BMD) membership of the coalition after a tumultuous relationship. Just recently, the BCP indicated that it was on its way out as a result of governance issues.
With all these challenges, the BNF still has to lead other opposition parties from the front to victory in the national polls. Buoyed by a good performance in the national ward by-elections post 2019 General Election in which the opposition led by the UDC performed with aplomb winning 13 out of a possible 17 by-elections. The UDC has been hopeful that the ward victories show their party’s recovery from previous losses. Last weekend, the UDC supported its partner, the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) when it successfully retained the Serowe West constituency in a by-election.
