Troubled Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) has been rocked by internal squabbles, with the ugly face of tribalism rearing its head and threatening to collapse the relatively new political organisation ahead of the 2024 general elections.
Amid its apparent reversal of gains, the party has of late shed its weight in the executive with the resignation of Vice President, Caroline Lesang, National Executive Committee member, Samson Guma Moyo, and Chairman, Oboetswe Gabotlale. Information gathered by this publication is that the BPF President tried to resign immediately after Guma but some party members convinced him to reconsider his decision when he was about to pen down the resignation letter.
Some of the party members who were elected into some of the ward committees in the Central District were said to have been removed along tribal lines. This is said to have irked many who are also considering leaving the, ‘Ke Nako’ party.
Before, Guma’s resignation, BPF NEC was said to have been divided into two factions, the Guma and Khama factions.The Guma faction is said to have had 12 members while Khama had eight. “The numbers meant nothing because during voting on critical issues, five of the members from Guma faction would vote with their Kgosikgolo, a thing that frustrated Guma.”
When reached for comment, Butale who did not want to confirm the tribal division within his party said: “There are issues that when a decision is taken on them, some people think the verdict was reached based on tribal lines because of the party members who come from the northern part of the country.”
He however confirmed to have been aware of those allegations. “There is nothing much we can do unless one brings evidence to me or NEC.”
On his purported resignation, Butale said that if he was to resign the BPF members would be the first to know. Meanwhile, in his resignation letter this week, Guma who also touched on the issue of tribalism said: “My love for you has not stopped and will never stop, we are all Batswana and must work hard to ensure that there is stability and respect for one another across the country. Politics of tribalism has no space in our country and I urge you to reject that tendency with the contempt it deserves,” he said.
