BPF, UDC romance a ticking time bomb

 

There are fears that Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) could be the Umbrella for Democratic Change’s (UDC) ticking time bomb, even as the coalition strives to consolidate opposition forces to present a united block to overthrow the regime of the day.

Even though its fights have been in the open since 2020, the BPF shocked many this past weekend when it was expected to celebrate its win for Serowe West Constituency, but resorted to its old factional wars.

The party leadership is currently locked in court battles. After winning the Serowe West by election, the BPF President Biggie Butale suspended some members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) for allegedly destabilising the party and disrespecting him as the president and his authority.

He recalled and suspended Vice President Mephato Reatile, Information and Publicity Secretary Lawrence Ookeditse and Dr. Kolaatamo Malefo - the BPF Secretary for Health. He also expelled Dr. Bosilong whom he accused of having been at the forefront of the formation of a new breakaway party from the BPF.

According to Butale, the cause of this action is as a result of his colleagues’ acts of indiscipline, dishonesty, sabotage and bringing the party into disrepute and putting it in a state of emergency, and if not immediately curtailed, it threatens the party’s survival.

Reatile who is also Member of Parliament for Jwaneng-Mabutsane is accused by Butale for lying under oath “and have said I had given you permission to call an NEC meeting, which is not only untrue, but blatantly dishonest.”

Butale’s actions come after he was suspended by the party for allegedly supporting an independent candidate in Palapye for the Mmaphula East Ward by-election going against an agreement to support a UDC candidate.

Sources within the party have indicated that these internal fights should raise a red flag for the UDC. They argue that the fights will eventually spill over into the UDC and disrupt the coalition’s focus and strategic plans.

After the fallout between the UDC and one of its affiliates, Botswana Congress Party (BCP), the UDC has been enjoying a cosy relationship with the BPF which has seen the duo performing well in recent by-elections.

“The BPF problems are structural. Their fights are not for the interest of the party but are for personal gain and for positioning themselves for 2024 general election. The fight you see in our party once they are in the UDC they will exert the same tact and fight the UDC leadership. The BPF’s own enemy is its Constitution which has 20.4.6 clause which gives the president absolute powers,” the source said.

It has also emerged that the tussle over joining of the UDC by the BPF has resurfaced. Butale has been accused of leading the chorus for the BPF exit. The BPF Extra-Ordinary Congress held recently in Gaborone endorsed a decision by the party NEC to join UDC. The decision was marred by controversy as some members opposed the move and proposed a pact with UDC.

With the current situation prevailing at the BPF, many believe that the Pact model could have been the best and could minimise bad reputation on the UDC and its image. It is argued that with the Pact the UDC was going to be able to zone the BPF looking at its performance in 2019 and have it concentrate on those constituencies than to be all over the country.

A repeat of prior 2019 general election where one of the UDC affiliate- Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) factional wars ahead and during the July 2017 Bobonong Elective Congress negatively impacted on the UDC is feared to be looming.

The BMD, a founding member of the UDC, which split in late 2017 was later expelled from the UDC. The party lost its court battles against the UDC as it tried to regain its affiliate membership and would later contest the 2019 national polls solo.

Said another BPF insider, “what is happening at BPF looks like a similar scenario or event of the then BMD. The fights at BMD happened at the time when national polls were near. The factional wars at the end impacted on the image and performance of the UDC in 2019.

“You can see that these are also power-hungry leaders, it is clear they might wreak havoc once they settle in the UDC and demand control. But with a Pact it will be easy to manage the BPF.”

BPF Publicity Secretary, Lawrence Ookeditse has rubbished their suspensions issued by Butale. He said there is no how a suspended person can suspend another person.

“Butale is suspended and has no authority to suspend anyone. He remains suspended until the authority that suspended him sets aside his suspension or another authority has done so then he is suspended. He must go back to his handlers,” Ookeditse said.

Ookeditse said they are aware of the call for the withdrawal from the UDC. He said Butale is leading the chorus and has roped in other people and they recently held a meeting in Palapye.

“They are fighting because it is for their selfish interest because they want to contest for certain constituencies which might not be allocated to the BPF for the 2024 general election. He has gone total rogue, totally rogue. He is going against everything we believe in.

“He is going against the Memorandum of Understanding that we are having with the UDC and a congress resolution. In terms with the relationship with the UDC, well the UDC are our partners, and they know that the BPF members in general want to work with the UDC.

“I do not think they will allow a leader who has gone rogue to affect the relationship. So, we are going to maintain our relationship with the UDC and it is not going to take a Butale to ruin that relationship,” Ookeditse said in an interview.

Butale, even though he refuted claims of sponsoring the withdrawal of the BPF from UDC, said he could not grant an interview on Wednesday proposing to do so another day where he would explain everything in detail.