BDP spokesman, Segaetsho Garekwe, said they did not expect the ANC to utter "such statements about us in the media. If they have an issue with us, we don't expect them to address us through the media, especially at an event held by our enemy (BNF).

"As far as we are concerned, we are friends with ANC," he said.

The BDP spokesman said the organisation is at a loss as to what led the ANC to attack them in public. He said the matter has been brought before the BDP central committee, which is expected to discuss it at its next meeting next week.

Addressing a Botswana National Front (BNF) congress on President's Day in Mochudi, ANC international affairs spokesperson, Sithole implored the party to unite and cooperate with the South African governing party as they have a lot in common.

The two parties are mass-based organisations of socialist persuasion. Sithole said his party cannot be seen to be moving closer to the BDP than to the BNF as they have less in common with the former.

"Ours should not be a relationship of congresses, but located within the struggle here and South Africa and the African continent," he said.

The ANC official accused the BDP of being a self-seeking party whose agenda is to get the votes to retain whilst not caring for the masses that it claims to represent.

Taking a jab at President Ian Khama's habit of meeting local community leaders around the fire, Sithole said: "Sitting around a fire with people at night doesn't mean you care about them. Batho bao ba go tsamaya bosigo le ba shebe (Beware of these people who go around at night).

"You (BNF) need to understand your enemy. You need to understand what type of dictators are developing in Botswana and how they abuse state resources to advance their selfish interests. You can't defeat your enemy if you don't understand it. So the cadres must understand the BDP," he said.