DR BAATLHODI MOLATLHEGI:

ON BECOMING THE PRESIDENT OF THE BNF

Comrades, I have decided to contest for the Presidency of the Botswana National Front (BNF). In a democratic dispensation and indeed in the traditions of our movement, a decision to contest for any position is not and should not be viewed with any measure of cynicism.

Contest is the hallmark of democracy. It is only through contest that party members are able to assert their will on who should lead them and how they want the affairs of their movement to be conducted.I say this ladies and gentlemen because often times when one raises their hand and offers to serve, in other quarters this is misconstrued to be a treacherous act deserving of severe punishment. The reaction to this is often adverse hostility. This hostility often manifests itself with the question “but who is he”.Asked in good faith, this is a fair question. It is problematic when asked with a context that suggests that someone does not deserve. I will assume the good faith dimension of the question and answer it. This though, is sufficiently answered in my profile, which I will gladly avail to you after this briefing. Suffice however to pick a few elements from it. I am Dr. Baatlhodi Molatlhegi as already stated in the introductions. In informal circles, friends and comrades just call me “Bucs”. I happily answer to that. I was born in Bobonong on December 8, 1963. I schooled there until I relocated to Lotsane Senior Secondary where I completed my high school. I then went to the University of Botswana (UB), where I graduated with a Bachelors’ Degree in Law (LLB) in 1992. Upon completion of my studies there I joined the UB as a lecturer.nTwo years down the line (1994), I graduated with masters Degree in Law (LLM), from the London School of Economics and Political Sciences. Later, in 2001,I obtained my Doctoral degree in law (SJD) from the University of Toronto in Canada through the Canadian Government Commonwealth Scholarship. In between these years and to date, I have practised law especially (albeit not exclusively) corporate and commercial law. I am an admitted attorney of the High Court of Botswana and presently I am a senior partner at Monthe Marumo law firm. In my professional arena, I have provided service to private and public entities both locally and internationally, including even the government of the republic of Botswana.

The answer to the question of “who am I”, politically is necessary, not only as an answer to those who may have doubts but also to give comfort to the BNF membership, the opposition collective and indeed all Batswana.

I wish to take the opportunity to briefly address it. I am a product of this gallant and resilient movement, cultivated and groomed by it. As I often say, I have done everything that a loyal member of the BNF must do.

My political consciousness dates back to my formative years. Raised by a single mother in poverty stricken family, circumstances and not so much choice, compelled me to align myself with the politics that preached equity and economic emancipation. The message of the BNF resonated with me at that young age, hence in 1982 I formally joined the movement and I have been a member since, a period spanning 40 years.

My membership of this organisation, I can declare without any fear of contradiction, has always been characterised by activism. I know how it is and what it takes to be a student activist. I know, because I was one during my entire tenure as both high school and university student. I know how it is to be a student leader because I was one, having been a UB SRC member at one point. I have participated in and often-led protest marches as a student.

I was the founding chairperson of the then BNF inclined student grouping called MASS. I have formed and led BNF study groups and today I can say with a great deal of nostalgia how useful those were in equipping us with the political doctrine of the party; how they instilled discipline on us the cadres, and how they inculcated in us BNF’s organisational values. I have been there, always.

I was a member of Gaborone Central constituency committee when it led the then BNF Vice President Mike Dingake to victory. I led the campaign that took Cde Mokgweetsi Kgosipula to victory at Mogoditshane constituency. I was a part of those who facilitated the relocation of the then BNF president Otsweletse Moupo to Gaborone North (from Selebi-Phikwe) and had an active hand in seeing to his victory in that constituency. I was a leading member of a campaign team that delivered victory for Obakeng Moumakwa in Kgalagadi North 2004.When the BNF came from its Kanye Congress in 2002, it encountered serious challenges. I, together with other comrades notably Cde Moeti Mohwasa and Cde Magama, who was then the secretary general of the party, initiated “Operation Tsosoloso”.

This was a special project that was aimed at rebuilding the party by creating its structures and organs as well as an active increased membership drive. This is to say; I know what it takes to build the party. It is instructive that I was the chairperson of a committee set up the BNF Central Committee to lead the review of the BNF constitution, the outcome of which is the current BNF constitution.

I was also a member of the BNF Finance Committee under the late Patrick Malakaila, who was then the treasure of the Party. These are but a few of the many activities I, as a disciplined member of the BNF take pride in. Of course there are many other backroom party activities I took part in. This should answer the question: “Where have you been” to which I can boldly declare: “I have been there.” A question, Ladies and Gentlemen, could then arise as to why I choose to contest now and not then? I indicated at the beginning of my address that comrades went around consulting on the desirability, or otherwise of my contesting in the context of our movement (BNF), the alliance to which we belong (UDC) and the national question. As already stated, these three factors are fundamental to the decision I have taken. I propose to now deal with them individually.

OUR MOVEMENT - THE BNF

My assessment, which has now been corroborated by the outcome of the dialogue and consultations Comrades carried out, indicates that our movement, the BNF has been reduced to a pale shadow of itself.

The organisational structures, which in essence are the organisation itself, have literally collapsed. Honest members of our organisation will readily admit to this. The party structures, needless to emphasise, are the organisation’s lifeline. They are the cogwheel around which its functioning revolves. It is to me difficult to think of an organisation being healthy or alive when its organs have ceased to function. This collapse of our party’s structures could to a large extent, explain the dismal decline in the performance of our organisation in successive national elections even under the umbrella of the opposition collective. This need not be belaboured as its evidence is there for all to see.

The ruling party has made serious inroads in constituencies historically known to be ours. Who could have ever thought at one point the opposition would lose the Kanye constituencies or Gaborone South? In areas where we do not record outright decline, we see stagnation at best.

We cannot afford to bury our heads in the sand when things are not okay in the movement. Our party has a long history and tradition of honest and critical introspection, where shortfalls exist, the identified, admitted and worked upon. We called this “criticism and self-criticism” in our political education groups.I contest the Presidency of this party with its Rebuilding and its Unity amongst my core priorities. It is also critically important that BNF traces itself and finds its historical organisational values.There was a time when our party had a clear value system that defined its character. One could tell a BNF member by his/her good conduct, empathy, compassion etc. I offer my service to this movement with a promise to provide an effective leadership; a leadership that is accountable and transparent to the party and its members; a leadership that is humble.