BOFEPUSU won’t support any standalone party

Acting Deputy Secretary General of BOFEPUSU Samuel Molaodi has revealed that the federation will not support any opposition party outside coalition of parties.

Molaodi said Batswana have been taken for granted for too long, to still be experiencing vote splitting. He was responding to questions from the media on the federation’s take on the newly-formed party Real Alternative Party (RAP). RAP was registered in December last year. He said they acknowledge that the party says it comes with a different formula for politics.

“However, the important thing is for opposition parties to come together. BOFEPUSU stance has not changed to see all opposition parties united. Our hope is that whatever the new party is bringing it would infuse it into other opposition parties which are working together. 

“We are not going to support any party that is a standalone in the coming general elections as we did in 2014. Our wish is for these parties to disband and form one party,” said Molaodi. 

BOFEPUSU leadership was said to be divided over this position following the split of Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) last year which saw the formation of Alliance for Progressives (AP) by disgruntled members. Some had wanted the federation to rally behind the AP while others called for the federation to stick to its stance of united opposition and rally behind Umbrella for Democracy Change which BMD is an affiliate. 

Molaodi told the media on Wednesday that as elections approach BOFEPUSU would be compiling its Manifesto to indicate members needs and workers at large. He explained that any party that has policies that are in line with their demands as workers will enjoy their support. 

“If incoming President Mokgweetsi Masisi listens to us we would also listen to his party,” said Molaodi.