BNF appeals for internal peace
As the opposition Botswana National Front (BNF) embarks on a massive membership recruitment drive, members have been urged to put aside their differences for the sake of rebuilding the party.
For a long time, the BNF has been rocked by internal instability. With the impending elections for the party’s new leadership, the BNF is once again fighting with itself as entrenched factions prepare to battle for control.
During the membership drive launch on Monday at Cresta Lodge in Gaborone, BNF vice president, Prince Dibeela called on the members to “put their misgivings aside” for the sake of the party. Dibeela, who has openly declared that he will be challenging party leader, Duma Boko for the presidency at the impending elections, said the membership drive is an opportunity for cadres to rebuild the BNF. However, he said people have to be sincere about the process for it to happen.
“This membership drive launch is an opportunity for us to rebuild the BNF. And we have to be sincere about it and not play to the gallery or try to impress those that are following us.
We are doing this because we believe that the BNF is the future, not just of the opposition but of this country,” said Dibeela. He added that if there is sincerity, then they will realise that there are things within the party that need to be attended to first. Dibeela also said there was a need to revive party structures in all the 57 constituencies.
“We have to build our structures with sincerity in all the 57 constituencies. Those structures should not be borne out of support for someone or any specific faction but for the Botswana National Front so that we give love to those new members we are recruiting into the party,” he added.
Dibeela appealed to members to be inclusive as they rebuild the party structures, explaining that by leaving others out, the party will be creating war within itself.
He said the most critical thing in membership recruitment drive is to have genuine structures on the ground that will serve the party in its entirety.
Furthermore, he said there is need for the central committee, especially the party secretariat to treat and welcome all party members equally when they visit the office to renew their membership. He pointed out that there is serious need for the office to revamp the image and perception of the masses about the secretariat office.
He said all this would make the BNF an attractive party for new members advising that where there are problems, party elders should be called in to intervene. For his part, BNF president Duma Boko said the BNF is a party that embraces dialectical interplay. He said BNF members should change their habits of hibernating only to come out and defend their party when it was under siege.
He explained that the membership drive tagline, “My Future. My Vision”, speaks to each individual party member about what they are doing for the BNF. He called on the members to own the party and play a part in the realisation of its envisaged future.
“We must now reach a point in a dialectical fashion where change does not have to depend on crisis. Robust activism, robust defence of the organisation must not depend on there being a crisis or a threat to the party. We must be on red alert diligently in defence of the BNF. Don’t wait for attacks against your party to manifest, and then you start to defend it. That’s where I find you wrong,” Boko said. The two BNF leaders’ comments come at a time when there are concerns over the alleged sour relationships between Boko and other party members, especially those in the party central committee.
Meanwhile, some party members believe that Boko has neglected the party leaving it to fend for itself whilst channelling all his energies into the coalition Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), where he is also the helmsman.
The poor performance at the 2019 general elections made party differences worse as factional lines became more entrenched leading to growing tensions. There is also a seemingly brewing feud between the BNF and its coalition partner, Botswana Congress Party (BCP), which has threatened the existence of the UDC.
In another development, the BNF has also launched its new membership card. The president and his central committee members have been assigned to take membership card numbers one to 15. Former central committee member, Ferdinand Tapiso Kgosikoma was honoured with membership card number 15, which was given to his family. Kgosikoma was a member of the current BNF central committee before his sudden passing in February this year.