TROUBLE ERUPTS WITHIN UDC

Trouble is brewing within the coalition government, Umbrella for Democratic Party (UDC), as contracting partners move to position themselves ahead of the 2029 general election, Botswana Guardian has learned.

The UDC comprises three contracting members - the Alliance for Progressives (AP), Botswana National Front (BNF) and the Botswana Peoples Party (BPP). Information reaching this publication reveals that the stability of the coalition is under threat.

The threat, according to sources, is caused by some members within the individual contracting partners as they move to consolidate power without following the UDC due process.

The contracting partners have come up with ways of establishing themselves in constituencies and wards where they have either been non-existent or have had little presence.

All three parties have launched a bold recruitment drive to spread their wings across all the corners of the country.

This is said to have caused anxiety among some members who believe some of the recruitments are for certain targeted constituencies that might be subjected to re-negotiations ahead of the general election.

Botswana Guardian understands that some complaints have been lodged with the UDC Secretariat - a development that has forced the party to issue a stern warning against self-allocation of wards and constituencies.

The brewing tension has not only affected the coalition but has allegedly spiralled into individual contracting partners. Sources have revealed that the development might negatively affect the BNF and BPP, which are also engulfed in internal fights.

The BPP, which has revealed that it no longer wants to be a regional party and wants to reach the southern part of the country, is fighting instability with some elements within the party targeting Party President, Motlatsi Molapisi.

Molapisi has been accused of dictatorial tendencies regarding his running of the affairs of the party.

The BNF is struggling with containing internal fights, especially at the regional level, where elections are always marred by controversy.

According to sources at the BNF, the failure by the party to reconcile the warring 2025 Palapye Elective Congress factions has fuelled the current tension.

The BNF has also, since the elective congress, failed to establish sub-committees, a situation which is said to be hampering the execution of the new central committee mandate and the resolution adopted by the congress.

This week, BNF members were not happy with their Secretary General, Dr Stephen Modise’s address on the status of medicines in the country.

Leaked audio conversations suggest that the failure by Dr Modise, who is the Minister of Health, to run the ministry cannot be disassociated from the failure to run the BNF Secretariat.

The BNF internal fights are heating up as the party prepares for its National Conference, billed for next month in Jwaneng. There are fears that the conference might be moved to another venue due to the unpreparedness to host.

The BNF, which has a larger share within the UDC at council, Parliament, and cabinet, is pushing to consolidate more power within the coalition.

This is said to have been the reason why the AP also wants a presence in all the constituencies. The AP has set itself a target of 500 members in all the wards around the country.

The UDC Executive Secretary, Dr Patrick Molutsi, has sent a stern warning against conducting political activities using the UDC without proper authorisation.

According to Dr Molutsi, the office has observed a trend whereby some MPs and councillors go around the country holding rallies and related events in the name of the UDC.

“Whilst it is a good thing to do party events and must be encouraged for members to hold rallies and other meetings in their constituencies or wards, as these contribute to the UDC visibility and serve to continue to recruit new members to the party, it is well-established procedure and practice that any meeting, rally or any event whatsoever, going by the UDC name must first be sanctioned by the UDC structures and Secretariat,” Dr Molutsi said in a

letter to UDC representatives and General Membership.

He said this is also the procedure and practice with individual member parties of the UDC. According to the Executive Secretary, the latest developments where members are already allocating themselves wards and constituencies without the sanction of the party structures at the local and central levels, are both disruptive and cause unnecessary conflicts.