BPF saga continues as Butale refuses to recognise expulsion
Both the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) and Biggie Butale continue to pull in opposite directions.
Butale held a consultative meeting with members of the party over the weekend in Francistown without the blessings of the party.
Butale said that the last elective Congress was held in 2019, and they are yet to hold another, which naturally means that he remains at the helm of the BPF as its founding and standing President until 2025 when their next elective congress will be held.
“This was a unanimous decision that was taken at our recent extraordinary congress in April”, he said.
Furthermore, he noted that they have a pending court case lodged before the Court of Appeal, which challenges the recent judgement by Judge Kebonang.
“We believe the learned Judge misdirected himself on a number of key points,” Butale said, explaining that they are challenging among others, the authenticity of some documents that were filed before the court, as they suspect that they were doctored.
Furthermore, they believe that their appeal will succeed. After the appeal they will then go back to their people and leadership in the spirit of progress and unity for the party.
On the consultative meetings with members of BPF, the next to be held in Palapye this week, Butale said that the consultations with members of the party are all about informing them about the prevailing state of affairs in the party and to get their views on how to collaborate with other opposition parties for the impending 2024 General Elections.
“My intention with my team is to travel the country to hear the thoughts and feelings of the people,” Butale said, adding that they have held two successful consultative meetings so far in Francistown and Molepolole where people freely expressed their views.
They are also receiving calls from other areas across the country for similar consultation, which to him is an indicator that their efforts are not going unseen and people are eager to hear the truth.
On his efforts of uniting the party that clearly seems to be disintegrating, he started by stating that 'when a fish rots, it starts from the head.' He is of the view that those in leadership positions at the moment have twisted priorities that are
detrimental to stability in the party.
“I will first have to ensure we have a National Executive Committee (NEC) that will put their interests secondary and the party's first,” he said, suggesting that some NEC members are looking at what they personally benefit as opposed to what the party benefits.
Before the consultative meeting at Francistown, BPF spokesperson Lawrence Ookeditse had released a statement reminding members of the BPF that Butale and Moiseraele Goya are expelled from the BPF.
Ookeditse had further noted that party members should not facilitate anyone of them appearing as a representative of the BPF.
BPF members and stakeholders were also advised not to attend or participate in any gathering initiated by the duo.
However, this statement by the party spokesperson did not deter members of the BPF from attending the consultative meetings.
Interim party President of the BPF Mephato Reatile on the other hand said that Butale is expelled and that the BPF agenda moves ahead 'and it does not matter what Butale thinks or does. He is not BPF.'
At the meeting in Francistown, Butale expressed discomfort with the BPF joining the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) under its current form as led by Duma Boko as President. He said he particularly finds the leader of the UDC to be too imposing and seeking to prevail over other opposition party leaders within the UDC, citing previous similar complaints by the leader of the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) Dumelang Saleshando who has often questioned the dictatorial tendencies of Boko.
In similar vein, he cited his own experience with Boko while at the launch of the BPF candidate at the recently conducted by elections for Serowe West constituency. He complained that although Boko was just a guest, he instead gave himself the role of officially endorsing and launching the BPF candidate, which role was to be played by the BPF leader instead.
He also expressed concern that on the sidelines of the launch, members of the BPF were given membership forms to register as UDC members, something he feels is meant to eventually to gobble up his party and render it non-existent. As of Tuesday evening when he spoke to The Midweek Sun, Butale insisted he is the legitimate president of the BPF.