Two batswana youngsters who dined with Mandela
Monday, December 16, 2013
![No Image](https://cdn4.premiumread.com/?url=https://www.mmegi.bw/uploads/imported_images/2013/december/16/phpDD67.tmp.jpg&w=400&q=72&f=jpg&t=1)
Young Matsila's eyes brighten up with both surprise and pride to hear the famous African National Congress (ANC) leader speaking to him in Setswana, his mother language. Matsila, who is now reading for a Masters' Degree in Economics, was the star of the evening on the night of October 28 1990 when Nelson Mandela made his first tour of Asia shortly after he was released from Robben Island.
With his then 14-year-old sister Masego, who today is a marketing manager with a local independent newspaper, Mandela spotted them from the crowd and invited them over. Masego recalls how the two of them spent considerable time talking to the icon. "We were the only black children there; we had come to the event with our parents because my father was still working in Tokyo by then.
The BDP as a party known to have ample resources has always held its primaries well in time, but this time around that was not the case. The first leg of the primaries was held last weekend, with the final leg being billed for the coming weekend. This time around, the BDP failed to shine in its primary elections. The elections were chaotic; most if not all polling stations didn't open at the specified time of 6am. Loyal BDP members braved the...