What Does Moono wa Baithuti Actually Do? 

If you’ve spent any time at the University of Botswana (UB), you’ve likely heard of Moono wa Baithuti. It pops up in campaigns, features in speeches, and sometimes feels like one of those “big words” tossed around in student politics. But what exactly is this “blue train,” Moono wa Baithuti, and why should the average student care?

At its core, Moono wa Baithuti is a student movement. Think of it as the umbrella under which student activism, leadership, and representation take shape on campus.

This umbrella brings together four official student movements:

• The Movement Against Student Suppression-Botswana National Front (MASS-BNF), the student wing of the Botswana National Front (BNF).
• The UB Progressives, a progressive student wing aligned to the Alliance for Progressives (AP). 
• The People’s Movement, a student wing of the Botswana People’s Party (BPP).
• The Diplomatic Student Movement (DSP). 

The DSP, as The Voice BW once reported, “was established by a group of students who were tired of the status quo, tired primarily of the interference of national partisanship within the University.” 

Note: The youth league of a political party is different from a student wing. The youth league covers all young members, while the student wing is specifically for those in academic institutions.

Back to Moono wa Baithuti: it does not run the University, but it plays a major role in how students engage with the institution and with national issues. It provides the platform for candidates who contest Student Representative Council (SRC) positions, very much like political parties do in national elections. 

But Moono wa Baithuti isn’t just about elections. It is also a voice for student welfare, whether that means lobbying the University for better accommodation, pushing for timely allowances, or making sure academic policies don’t disadvantage students. It also acts as a watchdog over its own SRC members, offering guidance and ensuring that they stay true to the mandate of the organisation. Think of it as an advisory body to the SRC, much like political parties play a guiding role to their elected representatives. At its best, Moono wa Baithuti stands between the individual student and the vast UB system, turning personal frustrations into collective action.

For many, Moono wa Baithuti is also a school of leadership. Countless past members have gone on to become influential figures in Botswana’s political and professional spaces. For example, Jacob Kelebeng, a former Moono wa Baithuti leader, is now Botswana’s Minister of Sport and Arts. In fact, some argue that campus politics is a mirror of national politics, and Moono Wa Baithuti is one of the most significant reflections of that.

Moono wa Baithuti Ideology (Political Lens)

Politically, Moono wa Baithuti leans towards a progressive, student-centered socialism, emphasizing collective welfare, equitable access to opportunities, and social justice on campus. The movement views the university system through a lens of class dynamics, framing students as the proletariat and entrenched institutional hierarchies or elitist administrations as the bourgeoisie. By advocating for policies that redistribute resources, amplify marginalized voices, and challenge power concentration, Moono wa Baithuti positions itself as a force for structural change, fostering participatory governance and preparing student leaders to engage with broader national issues.

Who Leads Moono wa Baithuti Today? (2024/2025)

Like any movement, Moono wa Baithuti is only as strong as its leaders. The current Student Representative Council (SRC), elected under the Moono wa Baithuti banner and sweeping all 13 positions on the 26th of October 2024, stands at the frontline of representing students.  

This structure makes Moono wa Baithuti more than just an idea, it shows the faces behind the movement, the students currently tasked with turning advocacy into real results on campus. 

So, the next time you hear the name Moono wa Baithuti, don’t just think of it as a background player in campus life. It’s a student-powered engine that has shaped UB for decades and continues to influence how students’ voices are heard today.