Butale’s troubled political journey
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Monday December 25, 2023 06:00
At some point Butale was on a winning streak in court against his opponents and everyone thought he had nine lives up until he was ousted. He seemed like a man who would never give up but after his ship sank. He finally bowed out to form a new party named Botswana Republic Party (BRP).
How the internal fights began
Butale was accused of setting primary election dates for the Serowe West constituency without consulting the BPF’s national executive committee (NEC), and of sanctioning candidates to participate in the primaries. These actions then sparked a conflict within the BPF leadership.
In a move that went against the president’s authority, some members of the BPF’s NEC secretly held a meeting and voted to suspend Butale from the party. But Butale refused to accept the decision and challenged it in court. Butale’s celebration after regaining control of the BPF was short-lived, as another group within the party quickly acted to re-suspend him from the party leadership. His attempt to seek legal recourse for his second suspension was, however, unsuccessful. The group that took control of the BPF, led by Mephato Reatile, called a party congress soon after Butale’s second suspension.
At the congress, the BPF membership expelled Butale from the party and voted in a new leadership. The turn of events dealt a serious blow to Butale’s ambitions to remain in charge of the BPF. Not only did Butale face personal disappointment, but his followers also resigned from the BPF, leading to a breakdown in the party’s organisational structures.
Despite the resignations, the new BPF leadership was resolute in its belief that the party would be stronger without those who did not share its values and that it could rebuild the party from the ground up. However, the new NEC suspended members whom it deemed to be ill-disciplined or damaging to the reputation of the BPF. As for Butale, he believed that the BPF is controlled by former president Ian Khama, and that Khama’s influence is evident in the party’s leadership structure. Since 2019, Butale has been the face of the party and campaigned for it in some of the constituencies that it had contested in.
With no place in the BPF, Butale and his supporters were forced to establish a new political home, the Botswana Republican Party (BRP). The party is still in the early stages of development, having only been established for a little over a month. It remains to be seen whether the BRP will gain widespread support amongst the electorate. While it is uncertain whether the BRP could gain traction without any coalition partners, it is possible that it could benefit from joining forces with another opposition party. On the other hand, it could also be advantageous for the BRP to establish itself as a distinct entity in the political landscape.
The party’s intention is to participate in the next General Election as part of a coalition of opposition parties, rather than running as a standalone party. Since 2019, Butale and Tshekedi Khama have been engaged in a power struggle within the BPF. Butale’s decision to break away from the BPF and form the BRP was likely driven by the internal conflict within the party, as well as his desire to establish his own leadership.