In particular, observers have begun to wonder whether the main opposition party is losing its grip on student politics at the University of Botswana (UB). However, in a candid admission this week, BCP Youth League president June June acknowledged the party’s struggles at the university level, while expressing optimism that a turnaround is imminent. The BCP Youth League elections will be held on campus this Friday. His remarks come at a time when student politics are increasingly viewed as a barometer for national political trends. “To be honest, the BCP has not been winning UBSRC elections,” June said in an interview on Wednesday this week. “Our only success came during the period when we were part of a coalition with the Botswana National Front (BNF) and the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD), under the Moono wa Baithuti umbrella. That alone shows that we have work to do as a party.” He further attributed the party’s underperformance to limited investment in student politics, a factor he believes has significantly weakened its competitiveness against rivals. “One of the key issues is that we have not been investing enough resources in UBSRC elections compared to other political players,” he explained. “As a result, we have struggled to match their presence on the ground.” Moreover, June argued that the political playing field within student elections is often uneven, with incumbents enjoying structural advantages that make it difficult for challengers to break through.
According to him, those already in leadership positions tend to wield greater influence over electoral processes. “The reality is that the ground is not level,” he said. “The incumbents are always at an advantage because they are the ones running the elections. There have been allegations of irregularities in the past, and I believe some of those issues may persist today.”
