16 Jul 2026

Members of the Botswana National Front (BNF) will converge in Jwaneng for their 61st national congress scheduled for July 18-20, which will be officiated by President Advocate Duma Boko.

Held under the theme: The Torch We Carried, The Nation We Must Build, the conference will be graced by delegates from the party’s fraternal partners from the region and beyond including the African National Congress (ANC), Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), South African Communist Party(SACP), Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front(ZANU-PF) and South West Africa People’s Organisation(SWAPO).

Addressing the media during a press briefing yesterday, BNF Secretary General, Dr Stephen Modise said the event was a defining moment for their party to lead the transformation they have been advocating for.

He said this was a call for their members to collectively contribute towards implementing the ideals of the masses who have entrusted the party with governance.

“This reflects the defining moment in the BNF’s journey from carrying the hopes of the people in the struggle for change to carrying the responsibility of leading that change in government.

The torch symbolises the values that have sustained our movement for generations; justice, equality, solidarity and the liberation of the working people. Today, those ideals must find expression not only in our words, but in the way that we govern,” he noted.

Dr Modise said one of the key priorities of this gathering was to strategise on how to address the current fiscal challenges and other national issues affecting various sectors of society. He said the time was nigh for the party leadership and the general membership to confront issues such as unemployment, women and youth empowerment, gender-based violence and education matters, among others, with a view to map the way forward.

“These are issues we cannot run away from, and these are issues we cannot tackle alone as leadership, they are our issues as comrades and as the country. It is important that we get everyone’s input about what their thoughts are as we resolve these issues,” he said.

In addition, Dr Modise said the party would cease the opportunity to launch their nationwide membership drive and online registration system, as well as the funeral and insurance scheme for members. He noted that the former would be the start of an extensive membership recruitment drive to ensure the party remained as robust in the future. ENDS