Addressing a workshop organised by the BDP Women's Wing to empower women candidates ahead of the 2009 general elections, Merafhe said the party elections in Kanye are history and therefore the party should forge ahead. "We can't concentrate on it. Let us move forward. Let us draw inspiration from President Ian Khama who said 'let by-gones be by-gones'. We can't dissipate our energies in unproductive pursuits," he said. He urged the female candidates to reactivate party structures and claim greater space in the political arena. He told women to traverse the length and breadth of Botswana and aggressively mobilise the female vote. "If we are to attain the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), we have to promote gender equality and ensure women actively participate in decision-making for the successful implementation of the MDGs.
The significance of this workshop is that it would give participants an opportunity to wrap their minds around issues of gender and local governance which are directly linked to broader national issues," he said.
