Botswana Workers Front

The Botswana Workers Front was a political party in Botswana. The party was founded by Shawn Nthaile in September 1993 at a special congress in Mahalapye, following his departure from the Botswana National Front.[1][2] Nthaile charged that he had been kept out of senior positions in BNF due to his ethnic affiliation. Through the BWF Nthaile sought to promote the interests of labourers and his own Bakgalagadi ethnic group.[1] The symbol of BWF was the hammer and sickle.[3] The party was based in Jwaneng.[4] At the time of the 1994 parliamentary election BWF joined the United Democratic Front, a coalition of parties opposed to both the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) and the BNF. No BWF nor any other UDF candidate was able to get elected.[5]

Botswana Workers Front
AbbreviationBWF
LeaderShawn Nthaile
FoundedSeptember 1993
Split fromBotswana National Front
HeadquartersMahalapye
IdeologyNationalism
Christian democracy
Political positionCentre
National affiliationBotswana National Front

BWF allowed members to hold dual BWF and BNF memberships.[6]

Mothusi Akanyang was the founding president of BWF. She died in 2005.[6][7] At the time, Nthaile served as deputy president of the party.[6]

References
  1. Makgala, Christian John. 'So Far So Good'?: An Appraisal of Dr. Ng'ombe's 1998 Prophecy on the Fate of the BNF
  2. Dingake, Michael. The Politics of Confusion: The BNF Saga 1984-1998. Gaborone: Bay Publishing, 2004. p. 44
  3. Electoral Commissions Forum (Southern African Development Community), and Denis Kadima. Botswana Elections Observer Mission Report, 16 October 1999. Auckland Park, South Africa: Electoral Institute of Southern Africa, 1999. p. 42
  4. Europa Publications Limited, and Taylor & Francis Group. The Europa World Year Book: 2008. New York: Routledge, 2008. p. 940
  5. Sebudubudu, David and Bertha Z. Osie-Hwedie. http://www.giga-hamburg.de/openaccess/afrikaspectrum/2006_1/giga_as_2006_1_sebudubudu.pdf
  6. Daily News. BOPA News on 21 July 2005
  7. IRIN. BOTSWANA: IRIN election briefing
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