06/11/2025
Opinion Piece
Is He a Good Debater, or Does He Simply Know What Heโs Talking About?
By Koketso Moswetsi
For a while now, I have watched President Duma Boko command the floor in Parliament. His precision, confidence, and control of language always strike me as traits of a man who knows exactly what he is talking about.
But here is where it gets fascinating, it is not just what he says, it is how he says it. Boko has that rare ability to calm a storm simply by speaking into it (i call it the Jesus way). Today, as I watched him again, his voice rolled through the chamber with authority. It thundered, then settled, leaving his opponents in a reflective silence, the kind that quietly says, โWe hear you, sir.โ
The silence was telling. It was not fear, but rather acknowledgement, an unspoken respect for someone who came prepared.
A few MPs, including Hon. Dr. Gobotswang, Hon. Dr. Unity Dow, and Hon. Taolo Lucas, sought clarification on some of his points. Yet Boko met them with eloquence, as if anticipating each question before it landed. His responses were sharp, measured, and delivered with the composure of a seasoned statesman.
For the first time, I saw the Opposition benches unusually quiet, perhaps even momentarily disarmed. Maybe I have been viewing things through a fogged lens all along (perhaps i should get a new lense) , but something about today felt different, the air itself in the August House seemed to shift.
Boko might not only be a good debater, he could be both, a man who speaks with intellect and conviction. Either way, if the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) hopes to reclaim its glory days ( come 2029) , it will need this version of its leader more often in Parliament, the articulate, commanding voice that can both challenge and inspire.
Perhaps Bokoโs dominance today was made more noticeable by the absence of his political counterpart, Leader of Opposition Hon. Dumelang Saleshando, who reportedly travelled to his constituency for a health event. Still, it left me wondering how electrifying it would be to see these two seasoned politicians go head-to-head, a real exchange of minds and ideals in the lead-up to the 2029 General Elections.
I could write more, but maybe I should not ruin it for you. The broadcast is there online for anyone to revisit. Watch it and decide for yourself whether I am simply overanalysing or whether, just maybe, I witnessed a man fully in command of the House, and of his moment.
