Serowe West constituency members to make final decision
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Tuesday June 13, 2023 06:00
Things became more evident on Friday as all Serowe MPs turned up to support the now-party vice president Mephato Reatile, who is also an MP for the Jwaneng-Mabutsane constituency.
The Serowe MPs are Baratiwa Mathoothe for Serowe West and Serowe South MP, Leapetswe Lesedi. Tension within the BPF is so heightened that the members do not even talk to each other.
The Monitor observed at the Lobatse High Court on Friday during their court case in which Butale was retained as party president. Butale had taken the BPF National Executive Committee (NEC) to court, challenging his suspension and how the decision was taken.
Butale and Reitumetse Aphiri, the party's secretary for political education, were suspended for 90 days for allegedly contravening the party's primary elections processes.
This was after they announced dates and made an expression of interest closure for those who wanted to contest the Serowe West constituency election. Mathoothe on Friday told The Monitor: “We came here to support the vice president as well as to listen to the outcome of the matter since residents of Serowe delegated us to do so. We came with some of the village representatives so that they may listen to the outcome of the matter.
This outcome will help them as the residents to decide on a matter which is not court related. There are many ways of solving political matters and politics is a voluntary movement.
Currently, we do not know how the residents will decide or prefer the matter to be resolved but it is up to them. As for us, we are just messengers.” However, The Monitor also learnt that the BPF court decision may divide the party further as some want the candidate that people would prefer not to contest under the BPF ticket. According to a source, the division might end up forcing the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) to contest. “The preferred candidate might contest under the UDC.
That on its own will disadvantage the BPF in the area,” the source said. UDC spokesperson Mohwasa said in a recent interview: “There are only two scenarios that could emerge. We will either contest under the UDC or the BPF banner. This will depend on whether BPF membership of UDC is formalised by the time of nomination. We work with the BPF and there is no way we can contest against each other.”