Opposition youth speak

| Friday June 11, 2010 00:00

 

The Monitor: It appears that you guys are able to cooperate as the Opposition Youth Leagues, a thing that failed with your party elders?

Dikgafela: It is very important for us to work together at the moment because we have a common objective of taking out the BDP government, which has dismally failed Batswana. It is even more important for us as the youth to cooperate as you may understand we are coming from parties whose leadership should agree on issues of cooperation, so we are just getting the ball rolling for them.

Manyapetsa: As the youth league leaders, we realised that we needed each other the most, ahead of the 2014 general elections, so that we can succeed in taking government from the BDP. I do not think it is still difficult for our leaders to cooperate because the political landscape has changed significantly at the moment. It is now up to the opposition to realise the importance of unity and cooperation before the next general elections. We are trying by all means as the youth leagues not to leave our party leaderships behind as we work towards unity. We are just starting with some casual friendship, like we will be celebrating The Day of the African Child as a unit, and we are hopeful our leaders will see that unity is possible.

Ntime: We realised that it is going to take us long to take over the government if we continue working apart, while Batswana are suffering and they want change. In short, we are uniting for change and this is just the beginning.

We will take this to our party congresses to show them that we have a good vision for the country. We are starting with small things, which are working out well before moving to bigger things towards unity.

The Monitor: Looking at the results of the last general elections, do you think this time around there will be more parity at the opposition negotiation table than the last time?

Dikgafela: This is a new ball game; Botswana politics has changed 10 fold. The BDP is split and very weak, all the foot soldiers who have been doing the dirty jobs for them have now left, so as the opposition, we have to take a decision to negotiate on what is best for Batswana and I think we will succeed.

Manyapetsa: This time I think it is going to be very easy for the opposition to work together because it is what Batswana want. Batswana want a united opposition, workers are tired of the BDP, trade unions have been calling for opposition unity because we have been raising similar issues about people's lives and interest. I think this is going to make negotiations very easy. We now know all the reasons why we were not able to work together last time and we are now ready to iron out our previous differences and move on.

Ntime: We have learnt a lot in the past and this time around we will be better prepared to work together than never before. Failure can be good sometimes because it teaches you very good lessons in life so that you do not repeat the mistakes that led to your failure. We are prepared and I do not think this time around anything will go wrong because we have the support of Batswana.

The Monitor: Do you think there is a generational change in our politics?Looking at the number of relatively younger minds who are going for leadership positions, Dumelang for BCP, Boko for BNF and the likes of Motswaledi and Ntuane at the BMD?

Ntime: It showed in the previous general elections that the voter is becoming younger. The youth are now voting in large numbers because they are experiencing more hardships than any other age group. They are facing unemployment, regardless of their education level and most importantly they are the most oppressed by the current government's laws and regulation and they need change. I think the new generation of leaders will serve a catalytic role in luring the youth to become actively involved in politics.

Manyapetsa: I think this new generation of leaders show that Batswana are starting to have a different perspective in politics. The youth are facing a lot of challenges and they now see that they have to take part in government. I think by 2014 elections youth will play a significant role in determining the government.

The Monitor: What do you see as the best models and modalities for future opposition cooperation?

Dikgafela: We are three different parties, so I think we should sit down first as individuals, look at our individual policies and relax them a bit to accommodate others. We should agree on a number of things, then have policies aimed at improving the lives of Batswana. I think we should have one main opposition by the next general elections and I am sure we will definitely beat the BDP, regardless of the resources they have.

Manyapetsa: I think our leadership needs to be more open and accommodative to compromise in order to succeed in unity. We should be able to treat one another as equals, no 'big brother' attitude.

Ntime: The issue of models was the major hiccup in the previously failed negotiations, but I believe we have learnt a lot now and we will discuss a good and fair model for unity. We are starting it in the June 16 celebrations.We will be commemorating the day as equal partners. We are sending a message to our leaders so they can see the best models for unity.

The Monitor: If the opposition succeeds in their merger and manage to take the government from the BDP, do you think they will be able to work together in government?

Dikgafela: If we have a single manifesto to rule the country, everything will be fine and by that time we would have been able to iron out almost all the differences we had in the past.

The Monitor: Do you as the youth leagues have independence from your parties?

Manyapetsa: At the BCP we are independent, but we are guided by the party constitution, meaning we can make our own decisions, but within the party constitution.

Ntime: We are part of the BNF and therefore we are governed by the party constitution. We also have our own constitution as the youth league, which allows us to take our own decisions, provided they do not tamper with the party constitution.

Dikgafela: We are yet to formally establish our youth league, but the party constitution states that our youth league will have its own constitution, but drafted within the main party constitution.

The Monitor: What will happen if your parties once again fail in their negotiations? Would you gentlemen at the youth league continue working together?

Manyapetsa: This time around we will try by all possible means for the negotiations not to fail. As the youth league, our role will be to convince our elders and the youth to cooperate towards 2014. I do not believe we are going to fail this time around.

Ntime: If it fails, we would have failed as the youth, but this time around I am very optimistic we will succeed.

The Monitor: The BDP has split and some members, including MP's and councillors have left and continue to leave the party to the opposition. Do you think it would be ideal for President Khama to call a snap election and how ready are you as the opposition for an election?

Dikgafela: I dare he calls them tomorrow, but he is afraid because he knows he will be writing an obituary to the BDP. He has the power to call elections, but he is afraid, he is no longer sure who is on his side and who is not. A united opposition will definitely win.

Manyapetsa: If the BDP values the principles of democracy like he says, he should call the elections before 2014, so we can be sure the BDP has still got the numbers to rule the country. We are more than ready to rule this country.

Ntime: He should do himself justice and call elections because he has a burden now. He can no longer focus on policies for ruling the country, but is instead caught up in his party's internal politics, addressing rallies and worrying about who is next to leave the BDP.

The people did not elect him, but elected MP's who put him in office. Now the very same MP's have deserted him so he has to call for fresh elections.

The Monitor: Your last words gentlemen.

Dikgafela: The time for change is now. That is my message to Batswana and the youth in general. We have to actively engage in politics for the betterment of our lives and the BDP has failed us.

Manyapetsa: I want to call on all the opposition leaders to cooperate and work together towards the next general elections so that we can take power from the BDP.

We should not celebrate and take a BDP split as opposition victory. This is not time for quarrels in the opposition, let us unite and show Batswana what capable leaders we are.

Ntime: This is a time of change and there is nothing that can stop it, like Karl Marx once said 'When change is calling, it's calling.'

Let us not disappoint Batswana this time, they have suffered enough. Another thing, we should not take the BDP lightly because they have split. They have the resources to regain their strength and therefore we still have to double our efforts if we want to beat them.

The Monitor: Thanks for your time.