BPF sued for withdrawing from UDC
Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) National Executive Committee (NEC) faces a lawsuit from some of its members for withdrawing its affiliation from the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC).
According to a letter of demand from Segadimo Legal Practice, the lawfirm has been instructed to demand that the party clarify and/or reiterate the Party's position within the UDC as mandated by its Extraordinary Congress of 29th - 30th April 2023 and reaffirmed by the Extraordinary Congress of 15th - 17th September 2023 to the Party structures, general membership and all the media.
The lawfirm demands further, that the party submit or cause to be submitted, all the names of all the candidates for the local government and parliamentary election who will represent the Party in the UDC during the 2024 general elections within the aforesaid period of three days of receipt hereof.
“We advise that we act for and on behalf of Boatametse Nthobogang, Mmapula Tsholofelo Amos, Thabiso Tendani and Rajaba Lekgaba, our clients herein. On or about the 6th August 2022, the erstwhile National Executive Committee of the Botswana Patriotic Front (hereinafter referred to as the "Party") met with National Executive Committee of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (hereinafter referred to as the "UDC") to explore the ways and means through with the Party could collaborate with the UDC with a view to achieving opposition unity and thereby enhancing the prospects of success of the opposition parties in the 2024 general elections,” a letter addressed to BPF Secretary General Lawrence Ookeditse, reads.
The letter explains that it was specifically agreed at the said meeting, inter alia, that: the Party would, with immediate effect, become a member of the UDC with equal and/or same representation in the UDC National Executive Committee as other affiliates; that the constituencies and wards allocation to the constituent members of the UDC would be considered immediately after the release of the Delimitation Commission Report; and that the parties constituting the UDC would report back to their structures on the outcomes of the meeting.
At its National Conference and Extraordinary Congress held on the 29th - 30th April 2023 at Rainbow School in Block 9, Gaborone, the Party resolved, inter alia: to ratify the decision of the National Executive Committee to join the UDC; that appropriate disciplinary action be taken against all forms of indiscipline, particularly against those who defy the decisions of the Party; to grant the National Executive Committee the full mandate to engage with the UDC.
The resolutions of the National Congress were subsequently communicated to all regional and constituency chairpersons and secretaries, as well as to members of parliament and councillors by the then president of the Party. The resolutions were also communicated to all media houses by the then Publicity Secretary of the Party.
“On the 15th 17th September 2023, the Party held another Extraordinary Congress to address what was then considered to be a leadership crisis within the Party and to elect new leadership; On the 20th September 2023, the Secretary General of the Party issued a Memorandum to all the Party structures and members to inform them of the following resolutions of the Extraordinary Congress, inter alia, that:
3.6.1 Messrs. Biggie Ganda Butale and Moiseraela Goya be expelled from the Party for gross indiscipline in that they had breached, disregarded and disrespected the resolution of the National Congress of May 2023 which mandated the Party to join the UDC for purposes of contesting the 2024 general elections; and The Party must do all that is necessary to effect a change of government in 2024;
On or about the 7th April 2024, the President of the Party apparently held a media briefing where he is alleged to have indicated that the Party had reneged on its decision to join the UDC and wanted to have a pact with the UDC instead," the lawfirm said.
Efforts to reach BPF Secretary General Lawrence Ookeditse were futile at press time.