Autlwetse denies supporting Nonofo Molefhi for Presidency

Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) Youth Wing Chairmanship aspirant Thabo Autlwetse has rubbished claims that his camp is supporting Nonofo Molefhi for the position of party Chairman and president.

News has been making rounds that Autlwetse is among people rooting for the Minister of Infrastructure and Housing Development to challenge current BDP chairman Mokgweetsi Masisi for the party’s top post. Autlwetse has dismissed this as mere propaganda peddled by his detractors. Autlwetse told this publication that it matters little that either Masisi or Molefhi would feel the association or disassociation with the body or sections the youth.

“To myself individually, the BDP youth, the people I associate with first and foremost, and specifically in my capacity as prospective youth leader, the issue of contention arising out of all this is the party.

There is a growing realisation that without a solid focus on policy, the youth agenda and most importantly the party agenda is becoming diluted. The falcon is losing touch with the falconer and the party’s primary interest of member recruitment and possibly if not most importantly, member retention suffers”, he stated.

Autlwetse will this Saturday compete with Simon Mavange, Fox Segwai, Ronnie Kgathi, Bruce Nkgakile and Vuyo Notta for the youth chairmanship in Tsabong. It is still not clear where the competition lies but all the aspirants have expressed confidence of victory. The campaign among the youth has been marred by controversy and backstabbing for a long time. Most of the candidates have been associated with some party elders especially elders who have leadership interest in the party’s coming July congress.

Autlwetse revealed that the questions surrounding the presidency post the current president’s term dominates internal discourse to the point of hijacking what would and should be an introspection process leading to an upturn in by-elections and subsequently general elections.

“We cannot hide from the fact that the July congress and strangely this month’s youth congress are at a risk of being diverted from their respective core agendas by all the bickering, shuffling and positioning.

A political party’s pride and desirability is mostly derived from its institutional strength. The proverbial ‘moreki’ does not interact with a strategy team nor are they attracted entirely by marketing. It is the behaviours, attitudes, agitations and motivations of ordinary members that present a window into the soul of an organisation”, he said.