Reatile takes over BPF presidency
Sharon Mathala | Friday August 4, 2023 10:55
The party also maintained that it will be joining the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), a decisions which Butale allegedly attempted to reverse.
The announcements were made yesterday at a press briefing addressed by the ‘yellow’ party’s new president Mephato Reatile. Reatile was vice president during Butale's era and has been the acting president since the latter's expulsion.
Reatile was confirmed as the new leader by party spokesperson, Lawrence Ookeditse. According to them, there is renewed hope within the party and its members. The dark days are finally over, they said..
“We have spent so much time in and out of court. This has really taken much of our time and energy we could have spent on growing the party and implementing our strategies. But the court order has reaffirmed our position all along that no one is bigger that the party and its members,” Ookeditse said.
For his part, the new party leader also confirmed that in the next three months BPF will be going for an elective congress.
“As per our constitution if 2/3 of our members constituencies call for a congress it shall be so. The members have duly called for an elective congress and according to our constitution this congress is to be held atleast three months from the date of the request,” Reatile said further adding that dates and venue of the congress will be communicated earliest this coming Monday.
Reatile further confirmed that the BPF will be joining forces with the UDC for the coming general election.
Fielding questions from the media, the BPF for the first time confirmed that its party patron, former president Ian Khama had ambitions of running for the presidency of the BPF.
The BPF further revealed that Khama had also at one point, wanted to leave the BPF to form his own party.
“The NEC then took an initiative to visit the patron in South Africa to plead for two things. That he (Khama) does not have to leave the BPF to form his own party and also to persuade him not to contest for the presidency of the BPF. The patron’s decision came after a heated NEC where Butale had made remarks about him, the party and Bagammngwato,” Ookeditse revealed.
Ookeditse said the meeting was initially scheduled to be with Khama and Butale, but Khama then extended the invite to NEC. He says Khama acceded to their request not to go ahead with his thinking.
“This just shows you that Khama does not run the BPF as it is the propaganda. In actual fact there are many decisions that have been taken by the NEC either in the absence of the patron or against his wishes. But to show you the kind of man he is and the kind of party we are in, ga a ise a ngale,” Ookeditse said.
The BPF leadership further stressed they are not a tribalistic party, hence why they are in 38 constituencies. The party says it will soon launch and sign in new members from Gantsi, the Okavango and many other areas across the country.