Political parties, like individuals are taking the opportunity to set New Year’s resolutions.

The Voice Staffer, DANIEL CHIDA spoke to some party officials to get their plans for the year ahead. Other parties however did not share their plans.

Dithapelo Keorapetse- Botswana Congress Party Spokesperson.

We hope that this year the question of the illegitimate government which, stole the election, will be resolved for good.

Our democracy is under threat and this year we encourage Batswana to stand up and defend their right to choose a government of their choice through universal adult suffrage under the principle of one-man one vote.

This year, the illegitimate government must be fought within the confines of the law, and all undemocratic laws must be repealed or be defied.

We hope that this year Batswana will be employed in more numbers, graduate from poverty and gain control of their economy including the means of production such as capital and land.

There is no reason why this year should not be a year of prosperity for our people.

It is all in their hands, they can determine their fate and destiny.

Justin Hunyepa- Publicity Secretary for Botswana National Front

The BNF resolutions and programme continue from last year conference resolutions that were passed at Ba Isago University in Gaborone.

In the New Year the BNF will continue with its allies to challenge last year general election massive rigging and fraud; building structures and strengthening them; political education; strengthening networks and alliances; recruiting and increasing party membership; as well as raising funds for party activities.

We will be mobilizing our members on national issues like independence of oversight institutions, fight against corruption, respect for workers and their labour rights, provision of quality health care and quality education.

The programme will continue until a new leadership is elected sometime this year where the congress will give the new leadership resolutions and assignments to be carried out up to 2023 when the next congress is held.

One of the major successes from the previous year was unity of opposition parties going into the 2019 general elections. Our President, Duma Boko is on track to ultimately unite all opposition parties.

The BNF membership has also grown tremendously since Boko took party leadership in 2010.

Phenyo Butale- Secretary General of Alliance for Progressives.

At AP our main objective this year will focus on building their party structures across the country ahead of the party’s youth league, women’s league and central committee congresses.

We are going to hold those congresses at date to be announced but before doing that we need functional structures across the country.

Biggie Butale- Botswana Patriotic Front President

This year our aim is to add to the voices of those who want the improvement of the life of the rural lot and downtrodden. We are also aiming at playing a meaningful role as a minority party in parliament.

SHAMUKUNI DENIES BCP DEAL

Member of Parliament for Chobe, Machana Shamukuni has dismissed allegations that he was on the verge of defecting to Botswana Congress Party when President Mokgweetsi Masisi appointed him into cabinet.

The Botswana Democratic Party’s MP was appointed as Assistant Minister of Tertiary Education, Research and Technology, a few weeks after others were appointed.

According to a source close to the Chobe MP, Shamukuni felt betrayed having delivered on a number of duties that the President had previously assigned him to do.

“There was a time he was asked to keep a close eye on certain Ministers and he did just that, he knew he was going to be rewarded well but he was shocked when he was overlooked.”

The source further alleges that frustrated, Shamukuni sent Masisi a text message threatening that he was going to handover a defection letter to the Speaker of National Assembly.

“He texted that he was defecting to the BCP in the afternoon but the President acted swiftly and appointed him an Assistant Minister,” stated the source.

Although he was not happy with being made a Junior Minister, his friends are said to have pleaded with him to stay.

However, Shamukuni denied the allegations, stating that the motive of the source was to scandalize him with lies.

“I never had intentions of dumping the BDP,it’s lies! I was never assigned to watch or spy on some Ministers, that is not true at all,” he said.

Meanwhile, the BCP’s Spokesperson, Dithapelo Keorapetse said that he was not aware of the said move.

“I’m not aware of any engagements with him, if indeed it happened it would probably have been either informal or at lower structures level, Our structures are permitted to recruit new members at ward, constituency and regional level.”

•There is no BNF or BCP we are the UDC- Boko

The president of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) Duma Boko stayed out of the limelight for sometime after losing his constituency in the October general election.

The charismatic leader however later made a public appearance when briefing UDC MPs at parliament in a short meeting and then hibernated again.

The leader of the blue nation has now resurfaced once again this time in court where the UDC election petition case was being heard.

Boko –who lost his constituency to Annah Motlhagodi of the Botswana Democratic Party forms part of the 16 UDC members who have taken the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to court over what they have termed as fraudulent election full of irregularities.

The cases continue before Gaborone High court and Francistown high court

Speaking on the sidelines of the court case the charismatic leader explained his absence from the public space in a brief media interaction.

“I have been around, after the election when you now are faced with an enormous fraudulent outcome you need to focus on that, I am one person who does not speak unless I have something to say. I have been meeting witnesses and lining up petition papers to ensure they are properly filed. I have been hard at work, with a petition you have limited time to work with and so I have been busy,” he said

Dispelling rumors about his whereabouts Boko explained that, “When you are a leader in times of crisis you need to remain calm, I am always chilled in hell fire. I have been down so many times that down don’t bother me no more. “

Commenting on the petitions before court he said, “We need to expose this fraud now and for the future. If we let the BDP get away with this fraud in the coming 2024 elections they will do the same. The level of theft they carry out they have now taken into the scared space of election and have stolen them.”

He continued to say, “This is not about me, we must at some point have a commitment to something bigger than all of us and that is the democratic process of this country. We are faithful to democracy and we are loyal to peace and tranquility.”

On the question of alleged division within the UDC, the UDC leader said, “The UDC is united; united around two critical conditions, loyalty to democracy and democratic principles. There is no BNF and BCP. No! There is UDC, if you remember at the conference held at Baisago by the UDC there was a consideration of a merger of the parties in some shape or form so those will remain just as talks. The UDC is resilient.”

UDC managed to garner only 15 seats out of the 54 constituencies with the heaviest blow being the loss suffered by its leader, Boko to the ruling party.