AP, BCP to hold mother of all rallies
Maureen Odubeng | Saturday November 5, 2022 15:03
The rally, which is scheduled to take place in the afternoon, will see leadership from the two parties take centre stage and address their followers. It is becoming clear that the BCP and the AP will work together in the 2024 general elections.
AP Secretary General (SG) Dr. Phenyo Butale said the main speakers for the rally will be presidents of the two parties, BCP's, Dumelang Saleshando, and AP's Ndaba Gaolatlhe. Other speakers include AP Vice President, Wynter Mmolotsi and BCP Publicity Secretary Dr. Mpho Pheko, member of the AP Central Committee, Shima Monageng, and Dr. Butale.
“As you know we are at the negotiating table with the BCP. and the background to this as it must be known to you all leaders of all opposition parties in March this year agreed to present position papers and names of negotiators so that negotiations may start. The AP and the BCP were the first to answer the call, hence we are at the talks and we have our colleagues supporting us being Salashando, Gaolathe, and Mmolotsi,” he said. Asked whether they will be any formal announcement on the two parties forming a coalition. Butale said: “Well the announcement as to the progress on the talks will be done through the proper channels.”
For his part Monageng reiterated the SG’s statement explaining that the entire AP and BCP leadership will address the rally, which he refers to as one of its kind, intended to promote the BCP-AP coalition. The AP prior to the rally will hold its monthly Central Committee (CC) meeting at Lemepe Lodge in Molepolole.
Monageng explained that the AP CC has decided to hold its monthly meetings at various regions around the country. The previous one was held in Mahalapye last month. “The intention is to take the party to the people and enhance visibility of the leadership. It is further intended to have meaningful events after the NEC meetings, at the place where the meeting is held to increase on leadership visibility,” Monageng said.
Butale further explained that indeed the CC has resolved to rotate its meetings across the country, instead of holding their meetings at the headquarters. “We have resolved to rotate such that every meeting will be held at a different part of the country, with the intention to use that opportunity to interact with our structures, to resuscitate our structures where there is no structures or ailing structures. But also just to revitalize or re-energise our structures through activities, because we have agreed that after every CC meeting, there will be a public address, or a meeting with the general membership with the view to continue sharing the vision of the AP, which is to turn Botswana into a paragon of national building and prosperity, to make sure that they are aware that indeed despite the debilitating unemployment, and the failure by the government to provide jobs to provide even basic amenities , there is a party that has ideas, that has concrete plans that can be immediately implemented to address those” Dr. Butale said.