INSIDE THE BNF’S BATTLE FOR PARTY PRESIDENCY

BNF LOBBY GROUP IN SUPPORT OF DUMA BOKO CANDIDACY We do not associate with any BNF presidential candidate

The Resego Kgosidintsi led BNF youth league lobby group (Team Revival) wishes to reaffirm its support and endorsement of President Advocate Duma Gideon Boko to continue as the leader of the BNF post the July national Congress into the 2024 general elections.

This has been from the very beginning our position as a lobby group as we believe that President Boko has led the BNF with great distinction. We have seen the party grow exponentially attracting new members, young and old alike to its fold. It is through President Boko’s leadership of the BNF that the BNF contributed fundamentally to the formation and the growth of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC). Much elusive opposition party cooperation was achieved and sustained under the sound leadership of President Boko, a feat that many of his predecessors could unfortunately not accomplish. Today many salivate to be associated with the UDC and even lead it.

We therefore hold the view that for the BNF, the UDC and the country, President Duma Gideon Boko should remain at the helm of the BNF.

We also wish to note and welcome the candidacy of Mr Bucs Molatlhegi for the BNF presidency. It is a welcome development in our view. It speaks to the very nature of the Front and will stimulate much needed discourse and healthy competition within the organization. We do not see this in other political parties. Internal democracy is a founding principle of the BNF that should forever be nurtured. It defines us. Mr Molatlhegi himself is not the current president’s first challenger at an elective congress as Cde Boko has faced contest before in the year 2010 in Mochudi.

And so this is not out of the ordinary for the BNF. We call for a clean, matured and truly BNF like race and commit the final decision to delegates at the July congress.

As a lobby group and a potential youth league substantively, we will associate ourselves with the decisions of the national congress and call on all self respecting members of the BNF to do the same, to uphold the principles of democratic centralism. [TUMELO LEGASE]

BNF is the bedrock and cornerstone of Umbrella Democratic Change. The foundation of united opposition was laid by Dr. Kenneth Koma, before the formation of BNF itself.

Each of the three parties within the UDC enjoy their autonomy and independence with no iota of external influence.

When BCP held its elective congress last year, none of the contracting parties interfered or influenced the outcome of the elections. Neither BNF nor BPP supported or endorsed any of the lobbies.

We have learnt with disdain, that there are some rascals especially among BCP youth, who continue to poke their noses into the internal affairs of the BNF and making provocative remarks that BNF has phobia for internal party democracy. We call on the BCP leadership to restrain and reprimand those renegades led by a certain loose cannon known in the political circles by his pseudonym, Rraetsho Rre Makena.

If this untoward and unbecoming behavior persist, the BNF will set free its attack dogs! This might destabilize the UDC and strain the cordial relations enjoyed by the two parties.

In the same vein, we urge the BNF members who are not part of the BNFYL not to display undue influence, interfere and align with any of the two lobbies as this has the potential to cascade into factionalism. These two lobbies, Team Revival and Team Unity will be dissolved after Letlhakeng Elective Congress.

We as Team Unity have made it categorically clear, that we do not associate ourselves with any of the BNF presidential candidates and their respective lobbies. We have confined and focused ourselves to the affairs of the BNF youth and we are fixated on BNFYL elective congress. In addition, we have not publicly endorsed any of women eyeing the presidency of the Women’s League.

We exhort the party leadership to follow suit, as lobbies might birth factionalism if not dissolved after the congresses. We expect the transitional team led by Cde Kago Mokotedi, which has been tasked with preparing for elections, to have compiled the voter’s roll before the elections. We believe in free, fair, credible, transparent and peaceful elections. The election of delegates in all wards across the country must be free and fair as well. For the love of the BNF [JASON MOOKETSI RANTHATSA]

Mr Boko ran his race. He did well for the movement. He has very good traits but lacking in people’s skill and leadership traits. In 2014, Batswana rejected us when presenting him as our presidential candidate. We were doubtful in 2019 and presented him again to them as our candidate, they felt we undermine them and went to the extent of removing him as an MP. Can we still approach them when they were so loud about his candidacy ? Herein, find a humble , down to earth respectful but extra intelligent Dr Molatlhegi. Very hard working comrade who, for a very long time worked tirelessly for the movement. Let’s present him as our candidate to Batswana [DITIRO MATUTE]

BNF Kweneng Regional Congress makes resolutions

On the 5th of March 2022 the Kweneng Regional Congress which is made up of delegates from eight (8) constituencies namely Molepolole North, Molepolole South, Gabane Mankgodi, Thamaga - Kumakwane, Lentsweletau - Mmopane, Letlhakeng/ Lephephe,Mogoditshane and Takatokwane constituencies resolved on the following :

1.That the Kweneng Region support and endorses Cde President Duma Gideon Boko to continue leading the BNF post the upcoming July congress and into year 2024 General Elections.

2. All the 8 constituencies are given a target to register 10 000 members each by December 2022 and Membership Drive Launches in those constituencies will be done by the BNF leader Cde Boko and his Central Committee.

3. All the 8 constituencies to have set up BNF constituency offices by March 2023.

4.The BNF central committee and the congress to consider splitting the Kweneng Region into two (2) regions.

5. The BNF Central Committee to consider having early primary elections if possible by the end of year 2022. [ELLSON BAELETSI]