Analyst lauds BCP’s Youth Manifesto
The launch of the Youth Manifesto by the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) marks a significant moment in Botswana’s political history, according to Adam Mfundisi, a political analyst at the University of Botswana (UB).
The BCP has set the date for the manifesto launch on May 18.
BCP’s Director of Elections, Vain Mamela, disclosed that the manifesto will primarily address issues affecting the youth in Botswana along with potential solutions.
In Botswana, it’s widely recognised that the youth are disproportionately impacted by socio-economic challenges such as unemployment amongst others.
Commenting on the importance of the manifesto launch, Mfundisi said it is long overdue.
“The youth make up the largest population demographic in the country. Botswana has a young population that is relatively educated and informed. Additionally, they bear the brunt of economic, social, political, and environmental crises,” he said.
“The youth encounter barriers and setbacks in their efforts to engage effectively in the political arena. Furthermore, young people face poverty, unemployment, inadequate wages/salaries, inequality, diseases, criminality, and other ills bedevilling Botswana. Despite their qualitative and quantitative capacity, they are not adequately included in decision-making processes,” he said.
Mfundisi added: “Older people continue to dominate all facets of life including economic, social and political commanding heights. Whatever policies have been crafted to deal with the youth problems have been formulated by the old and ageing population who are far removed from the felt needs, aspirations, interests and priorities of the youth. They have been piecemeal and regressive in nature and character, thereby failing to resolve the intractable problems facing the youth in Botswana. Therefore, the BCP leadership and its membership must be commended for initiating and implementing this progressive policy of engaging the young people in the political sphere.”
Mfundisi noted that the BCP stands to gain politically from launching the manifesto, particularly as it coincides with an election year. He emphasised that it will “give the youth an opportunity to assess their current position and determine their goals for the next five years”. “This is one strategy in the BCP arsenal to woo young voters to vote for the party in this year’s polls. Voter apathy amongst this population demographic is worrisome and this initiative will contribute somewhat to galvanising the youth to go and vote.
Botswana politics and all political parties have to develop strategies to connect more effectively with young voters. “Whichever political formation excels in wooing young people will perform well in the 2024 general elections…The launch of the BCP Youth Manifesto will enhance the image and status of the political outfit in an unimaginable way. The party should deploy compelling, charismatic, authentic, personalities to engage directly with the young people,” he opined.
Furthermore, Mfundisi emphasised that young people should play a central role in the manifesto launch.
“‘The messenger is the message,’ so the BCP should appoint strategic leaders to convey the message. The Youth Manifesto should embody the core vision and values that the BCP holds for the youth and the wider population. Media coverage, including social media, will yield political benefits for the BCP,” Mfundisi said.