BPF at a crossroads as crucial congress nears
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Monday September 1, 2025 06:00
With 18 National Executive Committee (NEC) positions up for grabs, this year's congress could prove to be the most consequential in the party’s short but eventful history. The outcome will not only determine the party’s new leadership but also shape its ideological direction, internal cohesion, and strategic alliances ahead of the 2029 General Election.
Founded in 2019 amidst a wave of political realignments, the BPF quickly emerged as a powerful regional force, especially in the Central District. The party currently boasts five Members of Parliament and remains a significant player in the ruling party. Yet beneath its surface strength lies a web of internal tensions and unresolved ideological questions, questions that this congress must confront with clarity and decisiveness.
One of the most pressing issues is the party’s complicated relationship with the ruling Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC). Despite pulling out of the coalition in April last year, the BPF has continued to work informally with the UDC. This inconsistency has sown confusion within party ranks and raised questions about the BPF’s political identity.
For many, the decision to abandon the coalition arrangement stemmed from growing frustration with what was perceived as an unbalanced and ineffective partnership. However, the situation became more complicated following the 2024 General Election. Despite the formal split, the party’s loyalty to the UDC was still evident, culminating in the appointment of two BPF MPs as Assistant Ministers under the UDC-led government. This move sparked further debate within the party, with some members viewing it as a betrayal of the breakaway stance, while others saw it as a pragmatic decision to maintain political relevance.
As the congress draws near, the question of whether to formally rejoin the UDC or distance the party entirely from it is expected to dominate discussions. A clear resolution is not only necessary, but it is urgent. Without a unified stance, the BPF risks entrenching internal divisions and losing public trust.
Delegates attending the congress will be expected to chart a coherent and binding course on the matter, one that reflects the collective will of the party’s grassroots rather than the whims of its elite. Meanwhile, the party continues to reel from the silence of its former patron, Ian Khama. Once the towering figure behind the BPF’s rapid rise, Khama has retreated from active politics, leaving a leadership vacuum that the party has yet to fill.
Even more precarious is the uncertainty surrounding his next political move, or whether he will remain as the Chief. At Serowe during the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) apology meeting, he made it clear that he has retired from politics and now he is a chief, which many still doubt.
Khama is expected to make a decision together with his tribe on whether to forgive the BDP, the very party from which the BPF split. The BDP had gone to ask for forgiveness from Bangwato and the Khama family for denying them to use of their kgotla when they were in government.
This impending decision has cast a long shadow over the BPF’s political future, particularly in Serowe, a constituency that has served as its electoral heartbeat. If Khama were to forgive the BDP, the BPF’s stronghold could crumble. That possibility has sent tremors through party ranks, with growing calls for a strategic roadmap that can retain voter confidence in Serowe, Khama, or no Khama. Beyond external alliances and patronage politics, the BPF must also confront long-standing internal structural issues, particularly those tied to its constitution.
Since its inception, the party has operated under a constitution that vests considerable powers in the party president. This concentration of authority has been the root of multiple disputes and leadership clashes over the years. There have been repeated calls for constitutional review, with critics arguing that the current framework enables authoritarian tendencies and undermines collective decision-making.
The courts have, on more than one occasion, been called upon to interpret contested clauses, most notably during internal wrangles involving former president Biggie Butale. The result has been a party leadership in perpetual conflict, even as its rank and file maintain relative unity. It is against this complex backdrop that current party president Mephato Reatile confirmed the congress will indeed go ahead in November.
In an interview held on Wednesday, Reatile said that all 18 NEC positions will be contested and that he will be seeking re-election. He revealed that the agenda and theme of the congress have not yet been finalised, but hinted that the gathering would tackle critical issues affecting the party. “The Congress will discuss a lot of issues. 18 positions will be contested. Of course, I will be seeking re-election. We have not yet made the agenda or the theme of the congress,” Reatile said.