19 Jul 2017

Deputy leader of Botswana National Front (BNF), Reverend Prince Dibeela has lauded members for their conduct during their last annual conference in Kang over the holidays.

Speaking in an interview after the closing of the conference on Monday, Rev Dibeela said his party members resorted to a calm and esteemed conference until the end of the sessions to show their commitment towards the idea of opposition unity.

He said opposition parties converged in different regions to map their way forward towards the national elections of 2019, but  things took a wrong turn in Bobonong, where clashes erupted between Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) members.

He said at BNF as a constituent party to UDC, was concerned about the on-going internal struggles at BMD, as situation does not tarnish the image of BMD only, but UDC is also not spared.

Rev. Dibeela noted that it had come to their attention that the internal fighting going on at BMD were influenced by external forces.

Despite the sprawling challenge, Rev. Dibeela said constituent parties should make a way for UDC leadership to intervene and take decisive actions in order to safeguard UDC and defend it against all odds.

He also called on BNF members to remain committed to opposition unity so that they could achieve regime change that was created by the party founding fathers in the likes of Dr Kenneth Koma, Ms Pretty Molefe, Mssrs O.K.Menyatso, Frank Marumo, Dikobe and Henderson Tlhoiwe.

Moreover, he encouraged members to continue with the spirit of volunteerism to take their party to greater heights as the party was resource challenged.

Meanwhile, BNF secretary general, Mr Moeti Mohwasa said they received well articulated reports from the president, secretary general, treasurer, and regional reports.

He said they commissioned that they were against the use of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) in the coming general elections as they rally behind the petition that was sent before the court of law by Botswana Congress Party.

Mr Mohwasa said Botswana Democratic Party was in no position to persuade EVM on the nation as the results from the previous elections were fair.

The other commission is that they have agreed that BNF leadership should intervene in the struggles between trade unions for them to be at par to address workers issues cordially as well as to groom strong front runners of trade unions.

Further, he indicated that they had also decided that all the perpetrators that spread malicious and defamatory statements to other party members should be brought to book.

Also present were participants from African National Congress (South Africa), Namibian Embassy, BOFEPUSU and BOPEU. BOPA