The Botswana Movement for Democracy Youth League (BMDYL) president, Phenyo Segokgo, says the youth league has been involved in a number of activities from day one of their assumption of office.
He said the main focus is to register as many activists as possible to the movement, penetrate unfettered and virgin territories, especially Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) traditional strongholds.
He pointed out that the party registered 178 new members in Mahalapye West in the first week in office.
Segokgo told members of the media on Monday that they covered Moshupa and Kweneng South East on June 20 and July 1 where they registered 205 new members on that weekend alone and held successful rallies. He said on the same weekend BMDYL‘s other team was deployed in Letlhakeng East and Kweneng East where they recruited 181 people in just two days.
“We mark a very important milestone in the life of the great movement and the Youth league as we clock our 100 days in the office,” he said.
Segokgo pointed out that in August, the other Youth team was in Boteti North where two successful rallies were held in Xere and Rakops while others were in Ngami, in Gumare and Etsha where 113, 121 and 136 new members were registered, respectively, adding that most of the people they registered in Etsha came from the BDP.
Segokgo said the program is, however, curtailed by other factors, such as the by-elections as they are forced to confine human resources to one area that might be holding by-elections.
“The other obvious challenge is financial hiccups,” he said. “We would also like to warn the government about the prevailing economic dire straits which affect the youth of this country.”
On the issue of the formation of the Umbrella party, he said the youth league noted with concern the fact that the process is very slow in implementation.
Segokgo said that BMDYL has suggested to the party that the launch be postponed in order for the President of the UDC to be identified before the launch.
He said the three presidents of the parties should meet and discuss who takes over and also that a panel of elders across the parties helps to identify a president by also looking into a pool of people not only the presidents.
Segokgo further stated that the BMDYL suggested that a congress be held before the launch to elect a president.
“We want Council and Parliamentary candidates to be identified before the launch; a coordinator should be appointed to administer the project,” said Segokgo.
