The BNF Manifesto
Friday, September 25, 2009
The BNF Manifesto at a glance is quite updated, the foreword by the party president Otsweletse Moupo takes cognizance of the recent political squabbles within the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP); and in an admirable sense of introspection, admits to the troubles that have rocked the BNF itself.
If anything is admirable about the BNF Manifesto, while not saying nothing is, it is that they promise that government will not abdicate from its core responsibilities. When human beings decided to live together in a commonwealth in ancient times, establishing what political scientists have termed a social contract; the basis of such a contract was that each lay off claim to everything and anything they can be acquired by use of their own means and allow the establishing of a sovereign (a ruler) who shall provide for their needs and arbitrate conflicts.
But as the conference concludes, Batswana must ask: Will this be another talk shop, or will it spark real change? The answer lies in whether every stakeholder, from the President to community leaders, transforms rhetoric into action.The President rightly highlighted that crime, especially GBV, thrives in private spaces. His call to empower churches and counsellors as early warning systems is sensible. But good ideas mean little without funding...