The ambitious former assistant cabinet minister and BDP chairman Samson Guma is currently shaking
the BPF. Guma is giving the party patron, former president Ian Khama, a run for his money by defying
him and contesting for the BPF leadership against his blessings. Khama prefers his own people and is
opposed to Guma leading the BDP splinter movement.
Guma has a backing of some in the central committee while Khama’s faction comprises members of the
central region. The two factions have been writing each other letter in the past couple of days. One
letter stated that the Khama faction does not recognise party publicity secretary, Lawrence Ookeditse,
and his position. They further stated that they want the suspended president Biggie Butale to be
reinstated as president.
The Khama faction this week stood up as Butale declared himself as a president in a press conference
held on Wednesday. This was further objected by the Guma faction which reminded Butale that he is
still under investigations hence remains suspended.
Khama has noted the internal fights in his party and even threatened to leave BFP for good. This was
after Guma’s ambitions were said to have made the former state president insecure albeit having less
control and being on self-exile. It is alleged that team Guma within the high party ranks purged some in
the in the National Executive Committee who are Khama loyalists. They are currently suspended
something that chagrined Khama. The Women’s League has been dissolved because it has Khama’s
loyalists.
“What is happening in our party now is no different from what President Mokgweetsi Masisi is doing at
the Botswana Democratic Party,” Khama said during the suspensions.
Khama started by supporting Moiseraela Goya for the coming party elective congress to be party
president. It is not clear what happened to Goya’s ambitions. Because Butale is now tipped to take over
Khama’s lobby which seems to be ready to fight tooth and nail to fight for the party or wrestle it away
from Guma. Butale in this week’s press conference cancelled the party’s upcoming president before the
Guma faction wrote to him to sit down.
Meawhile BPF’s internal bickering is a huge disadvantage for UDC which has been waiting for the party
to fully affiliate under the coalition movement. Some observers are already predicting a huge slip or
dissolution of the BPF movement.
