The party has been for months embroiled in infightings with many already writing its obituary. However,
Thursday night the party spokesperson, Lawrence Ookeditse, announced that they had a peace
restoration meeting on Wednesday this week.
In this meeting Ookeditse said the party decided to put its house in order. Ookeditse said there was a
team which was tasked with “mediation” as the party was having fierce factional battles.
In the BPF internal fracas, Ookeditse found himself in a faction which is fighting to with that which the
party founder, Ian Khama, sympathize with. Biggie Butale who was suspended as party president after
being accused of sexually molesting a young party member was with those that Khama wants, hence
became Ookeditse’s nemesis.
While the Khama faction tried to reinstate Butale, Ookeditse’s faction, which is led by veteran Samson
Guma, rejected the move. This led to many wars. The Ookeditse-Guma faction held the most powerful
positions in the party while Khama’s faction held onto the influencial founder ‘s influence.
This led to an onslaught by Ookeditse camp as it suspended most of Khama’s sympathisers. The party
flights started when Guma wanted leadership of the party which many believe is a reserve of Tshekedi
Khama. But Tshekedi is in exile with his brother and find it hard to wedge his power. Tshekedi and
Ookeditse have clashed before and believed not to see eye to eye.
In his announcement, Ookeditse also said the party resolved in the Wednesday meeting to hold an
elective congress on 3 December 2022. The congress is expected to elect all the party National Executive
Council positions and all the structures.
In this congress, Butale is expected to face off with Guma who is said to be eyeing for party presidency.
But Guma is not wanted by Khama and was quoted by a local newspaper saying he did not recruit him to
BPF. This challenge for party leadership is expected to plunge the party into further infightings. The
Khama faction is not expected to accept Guma while the other camp might reject Butale.
Another thing that is coming with the December congress is a final decision to join the BPF. This is
something which has been anticipated by the opposition which sees BPF as a perfect replacement for
BCP which is estranged from the UDC. UDC has wanted to expel BCP but the dilemma becomes when
that calls for the MPs leaving the party and a possible by elections.
BCP has lost suspended MP Dithapelo Keorapetse to UDC, who then was replaced to become Leader of
Opposition when Saleshando was suspended. With BPF coming on board, UDC will not need BCP for the
2024 elections. BCP has so far joined arms with another UDC nemesis Alliance for Progressives.