New BNF Women's league president prioritises unity, reform

Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Wednesday April 30, 2025 12:47

In an interview on Monday, she acknowledged that the recent elective congress revealed underlying internal misunderstandings within the party that urgently need to be addressed. 'The disorganisation during our congress clearly indicates that there are problems within the party. Many of the challenges we faced could have been resolved beforehand. Therefore, I am committed to uniting women so that we can work together harmoniously,' Molome said.

'Firstly, my focus will be on bringing closer those women who contested under different lobbies to collaborate with us. We weren't enemies; we were simply competing to lead the organisation. I firmly believe that the BNFWL needs a constitution in order to function effectively and efficiently. The problems we encountered are largely due to the absence of a formal constitution,' she added.

Moreover, Molome expressed hope that the party has learnt valuable lessons from the congress, particularly the need to address the backlog of membership cards before proceeding to the mother body's congress.

She explained that the shortage of membership cards sparked significant debates during the congress, as some members had to rely on proof of payment and letters from regional structures to confirm their membership statuses whilst awaiting their cards.

According to Molome, this situation didn't reflect well on the party, especially considering that elections naturally bring about tensions. She further pointed out that the mother body could have played a greater role in resolving the issues that arose during the congress, which would have helped to minimise complaints.

Regarding the petitions submitted post congress, Molome admitted that she was informed by the election officer that the party’s secretary-general had received some, although the number of petitions hadn't yet been disclosed to them.

Additionally, she criticised the outgoing Women's League committee for failing to adequately organise logistics such as food and accommodation for the delegates.

However, she noted that the congress itself hadn't been properly planned, as there were no reports from the previous committee to be presented and adopted by the congress.