BNF pays tribute to Kwele

Koketso Kgoboge | Tuesday April 19, 2016 15:45

UDC members pays tribute to the late Daniel Kangangwani Kwele who is said to be the first president of Botswana National Front. PIC: KEOAGILE BONANG

As a mark of honour the BNF leadership was accompanied by their Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) allies – the Botswana Peoples Party (BPP) and Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD), and new friends, the Botswana Congress Party (BCP). The BMD president and UDC secretary general, Ndaba Gaolathe laid a wreath at Kwele’s resting place. BNF also awarded some regional accolades named after the late Daniel Kwele in the afternoon at a UDC rally held at Phillip Matante East.

Kwele was the interim leader of the BNF when it was founded in 1965. He later resigned to go into public service. Kwele later joined the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) and served as an assistant minister in Sir Ketumile Masire’s cabinet. In the 1980s, he left the BDP to form the Botswana Progressive Union, which sort of died a natural death with his passing.

Speaking at the ceremony, the family’s representative Alfred Mashungwa said that they were honoured by BNF’s gesture. “We are overwhelmed that you have remembered our parent, our father and the champion that took BNF outside the house to make it what it is today,” he said.

“We lived in a struggle because our father invested a lot of family resources and family time to make this party go forward.” “It was not easy at the time to be in the opposition, even some of our close family relatives that were in the BDP then felt uneasy around us, but our father who was also an educationist taught us how to draw a line between politics and relationships, and he made sure we understood what he was doing,” Mashungwa said.

UDC’s spokesperson, Moeti Mohwasa said as part of the BNF’s 50th commemoration they are paying remembrance to the party founders and legends.

“This is in line with our 50th commemorations. We are celebrating those who have contributed to making our party what it is today. We have done so in Mahalapye where we honoured Rre Koma (Kenneth) and Rre Gaseitsiwe (Bathoen) in Kanye and now we are remembering Rre Kwele and will continue to acknowledge others who also have contributed to the party.” “Rre Kwele led this party when it was not easy and when no one wanted to be the leader of opposition. Also (he was there) when it was not attractive to be in the opposition, but he made sacrifices and was determined to take the party to the people, hence we honour his efforts today,” Mohwasa said.