Warring BPF factions reconcile
● Butale to be reinstated as president
FRANCISTOWN: Warring Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) factions have taken a significant step towards reconciliation, sources told Mmegi.
The two BPF factions, one led by former president Ian Khama’s family and the other by former Tati East Member of Parliament, Samson Moyo Guma have been battling for the soul of the BPF for months. The majority of those who are viewed to be sympathetic to Guma are in the National Executive Committee (NEC).
Mmegi has established that the warring parties met on Wednesday in Gaborone for a reconciliation meeting that was facilitated by former Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS) director, Isaac Kgosi. Several reconciliation meetings have been held in recent weeks, but sources have indicated that the warring parties took a significant step towards reconciliation at the Wednesday meeting.
High ranking insiders have told Mmegi that the factions reached a consensus that they should fully reconcile. At the meeting it was also agreed that Biggie Butale should be reinstated as the president. Butale is aligned to Khama’s faction and has been serving suspension from the BPF since early last year following allegations that he sexually violated a student party activist. A month ago, he reinstated himself as the president but his move was reversed by the High Court. According to the source, another resolution of this week’s reconciliation meeting is that the suspensions of other BPF members should be lifted.
“The NEC will soon call Butale for a meeting where the acting president Caroline Lesang will hand over the reins to him. Other suspended members will soon be notified that their respective suspensions have been lifted. Both factions agreed to start on a clean slate. Follow up reconciliation meetings will be held in due course,” a BPF insider told
Mmegi.
This publication has also established that it was also agreed that the BPF congress, which was supposed to be held next month, be rescheduled to early next year. The decision was reportedly taken to allow the factions to complete the reconciliation process.
At the meeting, the consensus was that the BPF NEC acted within its mandate by resolving that the party should join the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC). It was then decided that the congress will make a final determination as to whether the BPF should be part of the UDC or seek alternatives. Previously there had been speculation that a faction linked to Khama believed that the NEC acted outside its mandate by sanctioning the BPF to join the UDC.
Contacted for comment on whether the BPF held a reconciliation meeting on Wednesday and if the meeting was presided over by Kgosi, Lesang was at first cagey to disclose information. Lesang wanted
Mmegi to disclose the source who leaked information about the meeting. She expressed misgivings about some BPF cadres who she said are in the habit of informing the media about the party’s internal meetings which are not meant for consumption of third parties.
“Who told you that we held a reconciliation meeting? I want you to tell me the name of that person before I answer you,” a worried Lesang said.
However, Lesang end- ed up conceding that such a meeting took place although she refused to shed light about what was discussed during the meetresolutions ing and the taken thereof.