BPP heads south
Chakalisa Dube | Thursday May 26, 2016 14:24
The BPP, a third and smaller member of the opposition coalition, the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) made the resolution during a closed-door meeting held in Tatisiding over the weekend. The meeting was held to discuss the party’s re-branding.
“A committee has been set up to design a schedule for the rallies. We will soon be on the ground addressing rallies and carrying out some mobilisation activities. In order to stay relevant we have to host more activities. No one wants to be associated with a dull party,” said BPP secretary general Shatiso Tambula yesterday.
Tambula explained that the rallies would mainly target the southern part of the country and other areas where the BPP has little following. “There is greater evidence that the party has managed to penetrate areas such as Boteti and the southern part of the country. What we have to do now is to improve our visibility in order to attract more members and strengthen our structures in areas that are not considered our strongholds.” As part of re-branding, members are actively being encouraged to purchase the party regalia. “We have to stand out if we are to convince more people to join us,” he said.
The BPP has often been classified as a regional party because its followers are mostly found in the northern part of the country.
In fact, for more than a decade the BPP’s most notable activities have been exclusively staged in the northern part of the country.
In addition, the secretary general said that beginning next year the BPP will start celebrating its fallen heroes such as Phillip Matante on an annual basis. Tambula said that the main purpose of the event is to educate members about the party’s history.
“The celebration will among others include educating members on the contribution made by our late members to the party and the nation. There will also be other activities lined up during the celebrations which we will communicate in due course,” he said. As part of its revival the BPP also intends to resurrect its relationship with other political movements outside the country.
He said the move might help the BPP solicit ideas that could help it improve its fortunes and meet demands of the current political landscape.