“BPF will never die”
Catherine Sepora, the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) Chairperson, remains confident that despite the turmoil bedevilling them, the party is not facing an existential threat as some suggest.
“We shall overcome the challenge and prevail,” she told Botswana Guardian in an interview. The BPF has experienced an inexplicable spate of resignations by members including office-bearers some of who have headed back to their erstwhile party, the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP). Others joined the other opposition parties.
Observers differ on the possible reasons for the resignations in the three-year-old political outfit. Because the resignations came at the time when President Dr. Mokgweetsi Masisi had mooted reconciliation between himself and his immediate predecessor, Dr. Ian Khama, some read the resignations and joining the ruling party to suggest that they support the effort by returning to the BDP even before the reconciliation effort takes off.
Others understood the departure from the party as an indication that they want to have nothing to do with the reconciliation project as they do not want the BPF to have anything to do with President Masisi. This group joined the
opposition. Interestingly, a number of party officials simply hibernated and would not even pick calls from the media. Their intentions are not clear.
“The BPF will never die. Resignations are common even in the older parties. People have left parties before us without bringing it to its knees necessarily. The same applies to churches. The fact that we made such an impact in the 2019 general elections when we were only a few months old, speaks volumes. The BPF is very popular,” said the BPF Women’s Wing leader.
The BPF, formed in 2019 just before the general election the same year, won three constituencies and dozens of wards. “Contrary to the narrative sold by our detractors who claim we are an exclusively Gammangwato party, we have some strongholds in the southern parts of the country such as Goodhope-Mabule. We have more than 100 000 registered members and this is an indication that we are a party of the people. Batswana have embraced us,” Sepora added.
In her view, “The fact that President Masisi is misruling the country, strengthens our position as an alternative. We are also grateful to the fact that the UDC has embraced us as a coalition partner. We have learnt a lot from them,” said the chairlady.
Despite Sepora’s optimism, observers believe that even if the BPF does not collapse, it may emerge from the ongoing resignations significantly weaker. The party’s elective congress was postponed last year to April this year. Considering the debilitating factionalism in the party, the BPF may not hold a peaceful congress. Tragically, the leadership does not seem to be doing enough to unite the party before the congress.
“The leadership is too factional. You have to have a certain level of neutrality to be able to unify an organisation,” a UDC activist speaking anonymously, said.
Caroline Lesang, a former BPF official who became the acting president for some time before resigning from the party, thinks the BPF is dying. “As far as I am concerned, the BPF has got no future,” she said, but declined to elaborate.
Efforts to interview the BPF leadership on the state of the party preparations for the congress were not successful as the party president Biggie Butale’s phone was off air at press time. The national organising officer, Ford Moiteela could not discuss preparations for the elective congress billed for April this year because, “The party leadership was to meet late Wednesday might.”
Meanwhile, Lawrence Ookeditse, the party’s spokesperson’s phone rang unanswered. A party activist residing in Palapye is celebrating the fact that some members are leaving the party.
“These are the troublemakers. Their departure will no doubt allow peace in the party. It is unfortunate that we are losing votes in them but the peace that will prevail in their absence, will offer a conducive environment for unity and growth for the BPF going forward,” he said.