Collen Mochotlhi has been one busy young politicians over the past few years.
Having been seen as Mpho Balopi, the former Botswana Democratic Party’s Secretary General’s right hand man, many expected him to step down too from his position as President of National Youth Executive Committee when Balopi vacated office.
However Mochothli defied the odds and went onto become the first chairperson of Tlokweng District Council.
The Voice staffer, DANIEL CHIDA had chat with about his career and the youth movement in general.
What inspired you to join the Youth League and pursue a leadership role?
I was inspired by the politics of that time.
I grew up under the wing of the late Gaotlhaetse Utlwang Sankoloba Matlhabaphiri famously known as GUS.
He was a grounded and an astute leader, ever so confident, calm and intelligent.
My interactions with him made me aware of my circumstances and by extension circumstances of other young people.
I found myself fortunate enough to be a young Motswana under the ruling party that had a platform where my voice mattered and could be heard and recognised.
I pursued leadership roles with a strong desire to serve my people and influence reforms that will see Batswana living in comfort and peace.
How do you balance your responsibilities as Council Chairman with Your Duties in the Youth League?
I am able to balance my responsibilities well without any challenge.
I have a team of able people at the Youth Committee as well as Council who make my job easy.
It’s all about planning and time management.
Is there any role that NYEC is playing to assist young people that are running for office in the 2024 elections?
Yes, NYEC is determined to fully support all youth contesting these elections.
However our Primary Elections Code of Conduct prohibits any party organ or structure from fully backing any individual or collective Bulela Ditswe Candidate.
Therefore we can only fully support them openly and without any contravention after July 20-21 when they now will be the party’s choice of representation at the General Elections.
Our support will come in all forms including financial where necessary.
How do you plan to engage and motivate young people to be active in politics and community service?
Well, I use quite a number of strategies geared at that.
But the one’s that I’ve found to bear positive results are education and awareness about the political landscape as well as the importance and the processes surrounding voting.
Secondly, patriotism to instil in young people a sense of belonging and for them to be one with their country, to develop a deep devotion and admiration as well as ambition for it to be better.
Thirdly, mentorship programmes with mentors who are actively involved in politics and are of unquestionable characters.
Fourthly, through recognising and awarding contributions of young people in the political space and community service for their selfless service and commitment, and lastly by encouraging young people to lead their own initiatives and projects, in order to foster a sense of ownership and responsibility.
What are the key issues you believe are facing the youth in our country, and how do you plan to address them?
The number one issue currently facing the youth is the high unemployment rate.
This is a topical concern that breeds other secondary matters facing the youth.
My line of thinking is that we must industrialise as a country, young people are idle and they must have work, therefore we should benchmark from all first world countries and heavily industrialised countries on how they achieved the low unemployment rate that they currently enjoy.
We must build, build, build. I think the approach taken by the current regime is outstanding as it forced us as a nation to be self-reliant.
A case in point is the banning of importation of vegetables that forced Batswana to go to the farms including many young people who otherwise were not aware of the financial benefits in farming.
So in summation my solution will be to further the mercantilist approach and have young Batswana build their country from scratch.
The Women’s Wing launched its merchandise, should we expect NYEC to do the same?
Women’s Wing launched merchandise that the party made specifically for expectant and lactating Women as well as children.
However the party had resolved to procure a unisex type of campaign merchandise apart from that of women.
Therefore there wasn’t any merchandise particularly made for the youth per se but we chose to make the entire campaign merchandise appealing enough to attract and interest our youth demographic.
I am sure you can attest even to the assortment of regalia available that it’s trendy and vibey.
What are the figures of youth contesting Bulela Ditswe?
At the last count we had more than 30 young people contesting for Bulela Ditswe, and we are yet to refresh that number to ascertain if any of them have withdrawn their interest to contest.
Your take on youth complaining of a lack of inclusivity in the party decisions?
If we, as young people have reached a place in which we vehemently are of that opinion, then it is incumbent on us to change the status quo.
The BDP has provisions that allow and give the youth their own platform to decide how they want to actively participate in the vision of the BDP and how they can contribute to the current mandate.
The BDP Constitution itself establishes the BDP Youth Wing, and we went and fashioned our own governing statutes called the BDP Youth Wing Rules and Regulations and furthermore, the Chairperson of the BDP Youth Wing is ascertained a position within the party’s Central Committee as a full member to amplify and echo the aspirations, thoughts and interest of the youth.
Can you highlight some of the major achievements of the Youth League under your leadership?
I would say the major achievement was our ability to have a nationwide conversation on issues surrounding the youth three months after we were elected into office.
We successfully held a National Youth Policy Forum (Youth Pitso) on November 2022 in Serowe where young democrats gathered to introspect, reflect and share their opinions on how they would like to shape their future and influence decisions via the Party Central Committee.
How do you ensure that the voices of young people are heard and considered in policy-making?
By strongly advocating for more resources to be channeled towards youth policies and initiatives and being a constant reminder of a section of the population that is a minority and mostly disadvantaged.
Any proposition that does not positively contribute in bettering young lives is a proposition against young Batswana.
Additionally, I lobby for support from other members and if need be organisations to amplify our stand with the goal of aligning priorities such that young people benefit more.
How do you see the future of the Youth League and its impact on the broader political landscape?
Young people have a lot to offer, they are versatile and are usually shaped by their circumstances.
Therefore I expect the national youth wing committees after my term to have foresight to influence decisions that will take the country into the next century.
The Youth Wing plays an integral part as it consists of a demographic that is large in numbers and their ambitions cannot just be simply ignored.
As for its impact on the broader political landscape, the world is moving fast into becoming a global village, soon the youth will account for majority of seats at Executive level in multiple if not majority of countries at the current trend.
And they all start their youth advocacy from platforms similar to the BDP Youth Wing.
