28 Mar 2022

Botswana National Front (BNF) has ushered in new women’s league committee to form part of its national structures paving way to other events leading to the party’s elective congress billed for July. 

The 13-member-committee was elected over the weekend in Thamaga during the Women’s League congress. 

Dr Bonang Nkoane was voted the women’s league president and will be assisted by Ms Amogelang Takatokwane. 

Ms Tiny Seaitsoketsa is the chairperson while Ms Katlego Morolong is the secretary-general. Ms Judith Gaaikanngwe was elected the deputy secretary-general with Ms Gabbie Sento as the treasurer. 

Other members of the committee are Ms Kedibonye Batlang who is the organising secretary, Ms Mankie Sekete is responsible for international affairs while Ms Dorcus Oboetswe and Ms Katlo Ditshotlo are responsible for political education and publicity respectively. 

Earlier when giving a keynote address at the official opening of the congress, the leader of the BNF Advocate Duma Boko called on women to introspect and shine a spotlight on themselves demonstrating their abilities in order to advance the plight of women in the political spectrum. 

He said politics should not be used as a platform to hurl insults at others but should be a forum that sought solutions to emancipate people from their everyday challenges. 

He also acknowledged the important role played by women in politics, saying women were torch-bearers hence their participation in politics should not be underrated. 

Giving a solidarity message to her compatriots, South African Communist Party (SACP) representative Ms Mavhungu Lerule-Ramakhaya said urged the two parties; BNF and SACP to find answers to both national, regional and continental challenges in the midst of debilitating crises brought upon by capitalism. 

“We call upon everybody, women, children and proletariats to support efforts to resuscitate Africa Left Network Forum in the midst of the regional dynamics of coups and intransigent regimes and leaders,” she said. 

She expressed concern over women in mainstream politics, the quota system and its efficiency as well as the insignificant participation of women in politics. 

She said women were considered key instruments in driving the economy whether informal businesses or small businesses. 

She said research had shown that women were the biggest contributors to the economy in the SADC region and called on the BNF leadership to help transform sectors where women were involved into greater heights. 

For her part, the outgoing BNF Women’s League president Ms Dorcus Mothusi said although women in Southern Africa formed the majority of electorates, they had limited participation in political decision making bodies. 

As a result, she urged women to be visible and be among those who make policies and decisions at all levels of government if their plight was to be adequately addressed. 

She pointed out that currently, less than 10 per cent of seats in Parliament were occupied by women although the majority of them were ‘hand-picked’. 

She said women’s voices could only be heard if they became part of the decision making process. 

She further stated that some current policies and legislation that affected women did not bear any fruits because women were not part of the decision making processes. 

“For these laws to be implemented, women should be involved in the highest possible level of decision making,’’ she reiterated. 

However, she noted that women were their own enemies in the advancement of other women in politics and urged them to desist from the pull-down syndrome and instead learn to uplift other women. 

The BNF Women’s League congress was last held in 2018 in Kanye. 

This year it was held under the theme: Women under the political spotlight: Prospects for a better BNF. Ends