Radical activist has eyes set on BNFYL presidency

Botswana National Front presidential candidate Richard Khumoekae is certain of victory.

So far only one candidate, Kago Mokotedi has signaled intention to contest against him for the BNFYL presidency at the congress scheduled for May 27-29 in Mahalapye. The Bachelor of Sciences University of Botswana graduate told BG News that he is more than ready to lead the BNFYL.

“I’ve been campaigning since last year and can confidently say I have immense support across the country,” he said. The author of a controversial, book titled, “The Scandalous Murdering of Democracy” revealed that he is currently working on his second book profiling the BNF/UDC President, Duma Boko for leading the BNF/UDC to a ‘stunning’ performance in 2014 general election.

Botswana Guardian is in possession of a detailed 25 page-draft of his manifesto and below we sample his areas of focus:
Youth League economic, political and academic freedom charter Richard and his team aim to engage the BNFYL structures across the country and other relevant stakeholders with whom they share an ideology to lock horns in a bid to draft a document that will posit the league’s position on central issues such as entrepreneurship (youth in businesses), education, poverty and youth unemployment, sports, entertainment and recreation, health issues and youth empowerment. “The BNFYL has continued for years now without a blue print that guides the league’s interpretation on youth matters.

For the purpose of reference and uniformity, we ought to have an extensive and comprehensive document written in black and white which elucidates youth policies; policies that are congruent with the social democratic ideological framework,” it states.
Once they assume power they will put the draft in place within six months and the other six months will be for BNFYL structures to discuss, make input where necessary, as well as input from other stakeholders (tertiary schools, secondary schools, churches, NGO’s, Trade unions, Media, traditional leaders and business sector). The intention is to have the draft charter ready for adoption between April and July 2017.

Land policy reforms
The BNFYL promises to revive its long standing policy to ensure that ‘the ruling BDP agents and their foreign handlers do not appropriate the whole land mass to themselves in a country whose size of the land mass is equivalent to France.’ France has over 70 million people but no French citizens including immigrants complain about lack of residential plots whilst in Botswana the BDP cannot provide plots for residential purposes to about two million people (two million includes under 5 months old babies), says the team.

The BNFYL through UDC will campaign that ownership of crown/state land and community (tribal) land must revert to the state  and community as the case may be, that Batswana, civil societies and business entities shall only have the right to use and possession of land and that an individual or civil societies or business entities shall only sell developments erected on the state or community land (not ownership of the soil/land), among others.

National public housing
If elected Richard and his team will embark on perpetual campaign for BNF/UDC government to establish a budget to build houses for the poor, destitute and orphans free of charge. They will also urge the Minister of Finance for BNF/UDC government to have a target of houses per year.

Their housing policy reforms will ensure that land becomes not only available but accessible to every Motswana including the poor. “The current situation where land in Block 8 in Gaborone is sold at P300 000.00 for an empty plot is unacceptable and amounts to daylight robbery by the capitalists. If land is free, then workers and self-employed workers will afford a loan of their choice to build a home of their choice,” says the draft.

Revive and erect vibrant youth structures across the country
BNFYL central committee member will be instructed to erect BNFYL within three months in their constituencies and report the progress to the BNFYL CC. This will mean that 16 BNFYL constituency committees in 16 constituencies or so will be erected. “It is a sad reality to discern that the BNFYL structures are currently dysfunctional and collapsed. At worst, they are dead,” says the draft.

As a special dispensation, the process of formation of structures must be intensified and accelerated in the northern parts of this country where the BNF is absent.

Strengthening relationship with labour movements
Using Marxism-Leninism political ideologies as a guiding tool, they promise to strengthen and consolidate a meaningful relation between the youth league and labour movements. “Contrary to what is happening today, where workers are left in the wilderness without a well-coordinated plan and formula on how they relate to BNFYL, we aim to make a deliberate effort to pursue and advance the working class interest from a political standing.”

The BNFYL says it will liaise with trade unions to lobby for the abolition of sections 34 (a) and 37 (c) of the Public Service Act, No.30 of 2008.

Bringing back the BNFYL political culture of ‘Mass Action’
The BNFYL must go back to its roots of “mass action.” The mass-action as a form of a bargaining tool will elevate Batswana’s political consciousness and civil activism, thereby enhancing participatory democracy, says the draft.

However, it says the above-said petitions and/or demonstrations must be peaceful, well organised and in accordance with the laws of the country.