BNF presidency: A comparison of the Moupo, Boko tenures

Save for the 1998 debacle where the late Kenneth Koma , founding father of the BNF, could not avert a split of the party, he had laid a solid foundation for opposition politics. Even during the late Sir Seretse Khama’s time, the BNF, “posed a formidable challenge to the ruling BDP”, as the late historian Professor Thomas Tlou had observed. Because of his Marxist-Leninism believes, Koma believed in the inevitability of regime change. He believed that change will be occasioned by the material conditions on the ground.

Having laid the foundation, the ball fell on the court of his disciples and successors to build on the foundation the philosopher king had laid. Moupo took over the BNF after Koma following a bitter contest. He was the people’s choice and Koma’s anointed successor. Hope was written all over when Moupo assumed the BNF’s coveted hot seat. He started with a bang and it looked like he were the Messiah the BNF had been waiting for. He was popular with the grassroots and appeared to be injecting life into the party. However, with hindsight benefit, he flattered to deceive. Things started falling apart when his comrades lost confidence in him.