The leader of the Botswana national Front (BNF) veterans association, Patrick Kgoadi has called on his party to disengage with the opposition alliance Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) and South Africa’s Democratic Alliance (DA).
Kgoadi was speaking at a press conference held at the party head office in the capital Gaborone on Wednesday mid-morning.
“The veterans are of the view that the BNF must exit the UDC in its present form. It must revive its relations with traditional alliance and terminate any relations with the alliance movement of South Africa and other forces of reaction”.
Kgoadi further said that the BNF should commence serious discussion with parties such as the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) and others that has sacrificed for the emancipation of Batswana from the Botswana Democratic Party slavery.
“The BNF’s track record and its efforts to unite the opposition in Botswana is well known and documented and the veterans shall not allow it to be derailed from its vision and mission to fight for genuine independence”.
The BNF veterans association is expected to converge in Palapye in July 2018 where a decision to formally inform the BNF central committee on its position is expected to be made.
Meanwhile the BNF Secretary General Moeti Mohwasa said that party has since issued a writ of elections for some wards and constituencies allocated to the party.
Mohwasa said that the party will also hold primary elections at wards in some constituencies that were not necessarily allocated to the party at the opposition alliance ÔÇô UDC. The last date for BNF members to indicate their interest to contest has been set for 11 May 2018.