The youth league of the main opposition party, Botswana National Front (BNF) will be holding its congress this coming weekend, 1st and 2nd of May.
Top on the agenda at this convention will be the election of the Youth League leadership.
By the way, I’m not a BNF member and as such I might offend some BNF members who may deem this topic as poking my nose into the affairs of their party. Apologies in advance, but hey, I’m used to ruffling feathers. In writing all these, I’m just heeding a calling, or obligation, if you like. I’m just a public commentator and a citizen who is at liberty to comment on any issue I may find relevant to my discourse.
I mean, if I can write about the ANC Youth League, surely nothing should stop me from writing about the BNF Youth League. Afterall, BNF matters to me more than does the ANC. The BNF is the main opposition in my country and that goes to show their relevance in our politics. I want to believe the BNF aspires to be the ruling party some day and as such whatever they do right now or in future is highly likely to affect me, directly or otherwise. The BNF business cannot be simply dismissed as a matter reserved squarely for its members, unless they have no intentions of one day becoming a party that governs not only their party but the entire nation. Yes, for now the business of choosing the party leadership is the sole prerogative of the BNF members but if they are striving to become the next government, which will in turn become my government, surely there is no how they can escape the wisdom or even the wrath of my pen.
I will advice their members whenever and wherever I so deem necessary. It should be appreciated that, being an outsider, I’m not privy to the campaign of the BNF internal positions. My comprehension of the capabilities of many candidates vying for leadership positions in the BNF is rather too limited. This is so because I can only judge most of them on how they have carried out their previous assignments and duties in public. I can only offer my insight and opinion but the final say rests with BNF members who have the right and privilege to cast their vote this coming weekend.
It is on this account that when I looked at the lobby lists in the BNF youth league election, I immediately noticed the group that deserves to be given the chance to lead the BNF youth movement. The team led by Kagiso Ntime strikes me as brilliant and articulate on youth issues. Kagiso Ntime comes a long way being involved in youth matters, at some point becoming president of the youth parliament. I didn’t have to do any research to extract any information on Kagiso Ntime because his name has always been synonymous with youth issues, politics in particular.
Another person who has worked so tirelessly and vigorously for the BNF Youth League and deserves to be elected is Arafat Khan. He is one young man who has always defended the youth movement and indeed the mother party. Arafat Khan has been the most vocal Publicity Secretary the BNF Youth League has ever had. Arafat Khan always made sure the views of the BNF Youth League reached the public. It has always been his mission to issue statements on almost every issue of national concern. He seemed to have made Moeti Mohwasa’s job much easier as he always came to the rescue of his party whenever there was a media story or public opinion to be defended. He faced a mammoth task of proving the BNF relevance at a time when it was almost hard to sell the party to the people as Moupo’s leadership made blunder after blunder, suspending and expelling members willy-nilly. I have no doubt Khan will do well as Secretary General after his sterling performance as Publicity Secretary. Another young man in Ntime’s lobby list is Tona Mooketsi, a councilor in Mochudi. His political prowess has already paid dividends to the BNF as proved by his victory at the national polls. Odondo Mmopa, who is vying for Publicity Secretary Chair, is also a youthful dynamite who does not shy away from speaking his mind at any given time without inviting or inciting discontent and disparage.
Surely if Kagiso Ntime’s team can win the youth league leadership, the road would be cleared for the ascendance of Duma Boko at the helm of the BNF. I have all trust and faith in Duma Boko and I would be delighted to see him take over the BNF presidency. Boko is a youthful leader with sharp brains. Though it may sound trivial, Duma Boko speaks well, looks handsome and dresses nicely. He is eloquent in everything he says. He is independent minded and a sucker for human rights. It is people of Duma Boko’s caliber that should be given positions of leadership as they will perform their leadership duties without fear of the incumbent, intolerable leadership and without favour to their relatives and close associates as it seems to be happening in our current government, where discipline and dignity is applied selectively to suit a few and hurt a lot.
NB: I didn’t seek permission from Ntime and his associates to endorse them here and that was deliberate because I didn’t find any reason to do so. In the end, may the best team win and may peace not elude the BNF youth over the weekend, for the good of Botswana opposition politics.
