The origins of BPF
As the storm at Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) begins to settle following last week’s court verdict, the party formed on the eve of the 2019 General Election continues to surprise Batswana. BPF, which has been regarded as little more than former president Ian Khama’s personal political vehicle or pet project, has had a meteoric rise. Mmegi staffer MOMPATI TLHANKANE follows the origin of the three-year-old party
BPF’s formation was prompted by the ‘ill treatment’ of Khama at the hands of President Mokgweetsi Masisi. The former president has always maintained that one primary goal since he founded the BPF in 2019 has been to oust Masisi and his Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) from office.
The controversy surrounding the fallout between Khama and his successor was not even about party politics. It hit rock bottom after Khama handed over the powerful seat in the land to Masisi in April 2018. The former president still maintains that Masisi was jealous because he (Khama) was making public appearances and stealing the latter’s limelight.
Looking back, BPF became the second splinter party from ruling BDP in less than a decade following the formation of the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) in 2010. When the relationship between Masisi and Khama broke down irretrievably there was really no other way for Khama, but the exit door.
During the early days of the fallout, BDP elders tried in vain to intervene before the matter got out of hand, but their reconciliation efforts between the former president and his successor, Masisi, failed miserably. At the time it was reported that after what he deemed as betrayal on Masisi’s part, Khama didn’t want to bury the hatchet with his former subordinate. Masisi on the other hand didn’t like Khama’s actions and his involvement in BDP politics post retirement.
Speaking of politics post retirement, Khama decided to take it up a notch especially since it was election year. On May 17, 2019, Registrar of Societies received an application to reserve a name for a Khama-backed party. Six days later the Registrar of Societies responded that amongst the 10 names submitted for consideration, Botswana Patriotic Front was the one chosen.
The party was registered two days before Khama was to addresses his meeting in Serowe regarding his political future. On May 25, 2019, Khama finally announced his eminent exit from the BDP. Addressing a meeting in Serowe, which was the BDP stronghold and where he is a kgosi, Khama said he had taken a decision to quit the party because of “harassment and bad leadership” from Masisi.
“This party ya Domkrag I don’t recognise it anymore. I have come here today to inform you that I am quitting the BDP,” Khama said before he threw away his BDP membership card to a rousing applause of hundreds who had attended the meeting. Khama laid out his plans; with the main aim being to de-campaign select ruling party candidates and helping some opposition candidates in the upcoming elections.
BPF was a party in full motion and few weeks later on June 8, 2019 they all assembled at Maharaja Conference Centre in Gaborone for an inaugural meeting after being locked out of Tsholofelo Hall. “It’s my fault we were locked out of the hall because I am the one responsible for putting these people into power,” Khama admitted then. He swore to use the upcoming general election to fix his mistake.
Biggie Butale who was Tati West legislator at the time, was the convenor of the meeting alongside the late BPF secretary-general (SG), Roseline Panzirah-Matshome.
To many, especially those who were opposed to Khama’s decision to leave the party that was founded by his father, the gathering was viewed as nothing more than a gathering of bitter, disgruntled BDP members and chance takers. Member of Parliament (MP) for Serowe South, Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi was clearly absent from the BPF inaugural meeting after being linked to the party. Venson-Moitoi had just choked last minute after announcing her brave quest to challenge Masisi and become the next ruling party president. Khama had publicly announced that he was rooting for her against Masisi. Therefore, it was expected that the former Cabinet minister would join the BPF, perhaps as president since she was senior to Butale in politics.
During the inaugural meeting, those in attendance questioned her absence. “Mma Venson is not with us this morning, but I believe that she is with us in spirit. I talked to her personally and she informed me that she won’t be able to attend this meeting. BPF has a lot of MPs that support it. We are a new party, so everybody will be free to associate and disassociate with us,” Butale responded to media questions on Venson-Moitoi’s connection to the BPF. “Patriotic is very nice word because it shows that we are people who love our country which is Botswana,” Khama told congregants at Maharaja. He indicated that the BPF was not just a party, but was also a movement that was motivated by people concerned about the direction that the country was taking under Masisi. “We are not a protest movement, we are a front as the name suggests, and this front will mobilise and work with all patriots in our country and other political parties to reconnect with our citizens,” Khama highlighted.
At the time many thought BPF would not be able to challenge the ruling party as it was considered to be confined to the central district. Butale then emphasised that the BPF was not based in the north of Botswana, but is also strong in the south.
BPF was not yet fully registered and they hadn’t yet come up with symbols, colours or even the national executive committee (NEC).
On July 6, 2019, BPF was launched in Kanye with Butale as interim president and Khama officially announced as its patron. The late Panzirah-Matshome was the interim chairperson. “An injury to one is an injury to all, at times we wanted to give up. We are here because of the sleepless nights we spent. We don’t have much but we will share the little we have,” Panzirah-Matshome told BPF members at the launch.
The launch was followed by an elective congress that was held in Palapye on August 3, 2019. Butale was elected the party’s founding president with Caroline Lesang as the vice president. Oboetswe Gobotlale was elected as chairman, Panzirah-Matshome as SG and Justice Motlhabani as secretary of information. On September 7, 2019, BPF finally launched their party manifesto in Francistown a month before the general election.
As the BPF gained momentum many people wondered what Khama’s brother Tshekedi Khama was still doing in the BDP under Masisi who had transferred him from the Ministry of Environment to then ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development. Tshekedi had tried to stay put at the BDP but the growing tensions between his then boss, Masisi, and his big brother forced him out and proved to everyone that despite all, blood is thicker than water.
On September 25, 2019, the younger Khama finally dumped the BDP and his resignation letter reached Tsholetsa House few hours before the nominations of the Parliamentary candidates for the 2019 General Election. A day later multitudes of Serowe residents thronged the village bus rank to welcome Tshekedi to the BPF. Bangwato came in numbers to the launch Tshekedi as BPF’s Serowe West constituency parliamentary candidate.
Some thought the BPF would have minimal impact on the ruling party’s electoral prospects at the 2019 General Election, but the new kid on the block turned out to be the kingmaker for the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) in several constituencies in the north. To top it all, they swept away all three parliamentary seats in Serowe, which had always been a BDP stranglehold. BPF’s Baratiwa Mathoothe won Serowe North by amassing 5,394 votes against BDP’s Kgotla Autlwetse who only managed 4,356 votes.
In Serowe West Khama managed to convincingly win with 4,394 votes against BDP’s Moemedi Dijeng amongst others who came second with 2,405 votes. BPF’s Leepetswe Lesedi also won Serowe South with 4,653 votes against BDP’s Lesedi Phuthego with 4,273 votes.
Detractors felt this was just beginner’s luck on BPF’s side. However, the party surpassed this blemished categorisation as it was able to go to its first general election and came out with democratically elected leadership including MPs and councillors. When the dust settled after 2019, it became clear that the BPF, unlike other political parties demonstrated a high level of discipline. The ability of the BPF to deal with the change from formation to participation in the first election, with the integrity of the party undamaged was made possible because of Khama.
Despite that, things began to unravel last year when Butale was slapped with a suspension by the BPF after being accused of sexually violating a student party activist. Butale maintained his innocence throughout the period of his suspension until the party reinstated him as an ordinary member recently. He announced his return to BPF’s top seat few weeks ago only for the Lobatse High Court’s Justice Matlhogonolo Phuthego to rule in favour of the party’s acting president, Lesang, in a case in which she challenged Butale’s claim to the presidency.
Now more than ever, there are doubts that the BPF is a viable organisation with a strong centre especially since Khama is distant and has been away on a self-imposed exile in South Africa. Khama has been charged with 14 offences to become the first former president in Botswana to be charged with criminal offences. Khama has always assumed the role of the ‘godfather’ and chief adviser of the BPF. In June this year, he revealed that his absence won’t dampen the BPF only to announce later that he will take a step back from the party activities.
Khama’s absence has also been working well so far for the BDP and the latter knows the former president would not make the same damage he made before the 2019 General Election. In Khama’s absence, the BPF fell apart and some of the members who couldn’t challenge Khama got the ammunition to confront the party leadership.
With Butale out, the Khamas in exile, the party leadership under Lesang suspended a number of members fuelling more tensions within the party. Factions started and the other camp felt Khama was a de facto president and should release the BPF from his grasp.
The anti-Khama faction led by former Tati East legislator, Samson Moyo Guma felt that the Bangwato Kgosikgolo was more interested in fighting and damaging Masisi than growing the BPF to become an effective opposition party which can introduce an alternative discourse to the BDP. Khama has faced criticism for using the BPF to pursue a personal agenda and was accused of trying to settle scores with Masisi. There is a much bigger test. Guma who is a presidential aspirant is facing former Palapye legislator, Master Goya. Both Butale and Goya are backed by Khama.
It remains to be seen whether the BPF can change leadership at their elective conference without physical fights and the throwing of chairs. Approaching the 2024 General Election, the party is tasked with building stronger and more sustainable branches and structures across all constituencies. But their biggest challenges lie ahead especially after their recent decision to join the UDC.