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BDP Youth congress: A vital kingmaker

Youth in politics are key players when it comes to campaigns 
PIC: MORERI SEJAKGOMO
Youth in politics are key players when it comes to campaigns PIC: MORERI SEJAKGOMO

The Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) National Youth Executive Committee (NYEC) scheduled for this weekend in Bobonong will give the direction on what will happen at the party mother body congress.

The BDP will hold its elective congress for the Central Committee (CC) in Tsabong later this month. Usually, some party elders use youth congresses to campaign and ensure that their lobby lists win.

Youth in politics are key players when it comes to campaigns as they are able to influence votes and are good at strategising.

Already the majority support Vice President Slumber Tsogwane’s lobby list.

In the latest development ahead of this weekend congress, an effort to merge chairperson aspirants Otsile Machola, Tinah Tametu and Kabelo Masvingo Mhuriro teams by some of the party elders did not bear fruit.

Mmegi has learnt that by end of this week the party leadership would have revealed their preferred candidates. It is said that Machola, Tametu and Mhuriro have the blessings from some party leadership.

Those who are eyeing the secretary-general position at the mother body congress like Shaw Kgati and Kavis Kario are among those who are forced to go and solicit votes from voters or members at the youth congress. At the same time the candidates who are eyeing key positions will be forced to tread carefully as their move might rub some youth on the wrong side.

The latter are forced to sponsor some of the youth because their votes are vital at the party congress in Tsabong. The dicey scenario is that all those who are aspiring for positions in the BDP NYEC are this week forced to dig deep into their pocket to finance delegates in Bobonong.

While other delegates are relying on some councillors and Members of Parliament to fund their trip to the congress, the sponsors will have a say when it comes to voting. University of Botswana, Political and Science lecturer, Keaoleboga Dipogiso said; “Structures like the Youth Councils and Youth Leagues, Woman's Wings are called party auxiliary structures.

They augment conventional party structures like branches and regions. They exist to focus on matters that affect a specific constituency of people, like the youth and women, who in most cases suffer exclusion due to the institutions that control politics like finance, patriarchy and other such that subjugate them into perils of exclusion.” He said if properly mobilised and organised, these structures constitute power resources.

In addition, Dipogiso explained that in terms of party management, they serve as an umbilical cord between such a constituency of people and the national leadership. “In terms of elections, auxiliary structures are a gateway to the electorate within the constituency of people organised under them.

So everyone who aspires to be a leader stands a good chance if they have the backing of these structures,” he said.

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