BPP at 65: Rebirth, relevance, resolve
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Monday September 29, 2025 06:20
In a political landscape that has become increasingly competitive and youth-driven, the BPP says it is undergoing a bold transformation aimed at regaining its relevance and asserting its voice, not as a nostalgic brand from the past, but as a governing force within the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC). The BPP is an affiliate of UDC, together with the Botswana National Front (BNF) and the Alliance for Progressives (AP).
According to the party’s Information and Publicity Secretary, Mmantlha Sankoloba, the 65th anniversary is being treated not as a ceremonial checkpoint, but as a pivotal moment of political reawakening. “This is not a birthday party,” she said in an interview on Wednesday. “It is a serious moment of reckoning for us to look at what we have been, what we have lost, and what we must now become. BPP is not here to be a decoration in the UDC. We are here to govern,” she said.
Founded in 1960 as Botswana’s first mass political party, the BPP’s roots run deep in the soil of Pan-Africanism, grassroots mobilisation and anti-colonial struggle, she further said. Furthermore, Sankoloba stated that it was the BPP that first advocated for unity, self-determination, and dignity at a time when Botswana was still under colonial rule.
“But over the decades, as politics evolved, newer parties emerged and the BPP’s visibility faded,” she revealed. Now, Sankoloba says the party has taken that decline as a challenge to rebuild, not by simply modernising its branding, but by returning to the people with humility, strategy, and an ear to the ground.
“The people are not interested in pretty colours and loud slogans anymore,” she said. “They want leadership that is credible, clear-headed, and connected to their real problems. We are responding to that call, with a restructured party, fresh leadership, and a renewed commitment to service,” she stated.
She, however, said the party’s new direction is being driven by what it calls a “disruptive strategy framework,” a bold plan to reposition BPP as a home for the young, the disillusioned, and the excluded. In addition, she said the core of the push is a deliberate effort to elevate youth and women, not just as participants, but as central decision-makers. “Young people don’t want to be used as clappers at rallies anymore,” Sankoloba said. “They want to build policy. They want opportunity. The BPP is creating a space for that.”
This internal transformation is being matched by a sharp focus on national presence. The party is currently undergoing a national recruitment drive, with renewed activity in both urban centres and rural communities. Sankoloba says the tired perception of the BPP as a party for “bagolo” or as a northern stronghold no longer reflects reality. “Let me be clear,” she said. “BPP is not a regional party. BPP is not a historical footnote. We are here, we are growing, and we are everywhere,' she said.
Part of that growth involves preparing credible candidates who can stand for office under the UDC banner in 2029. The BPP, as one of the founding affiliates of the coalition, is adamant that it will not be sidelined when the time comes to allocate positions or develop national policy.
“We are not here to warm the bench,” Sankoloba said. “We are full players in the UDC project, and we bring history, experience, and serious talent to the table.”
Moreover, she pointed out that the rebranding also includes a visibility campaign designed to showcase new faces and fresh voices from within the party’s ranks. Gone are the days of familiar but uninspiring rhetoric. The new BPP, Sankoloba says, is focused on discipline, strategy, and connection with the people’s lived realities. “Politics has become about noise,” she said. “But we are choosing substance. We are choosing a service. We want to build trust again, because the people have every reason to be tired of broken promises.” While she acknowledges the road ahead is long and lined with scepticism, Sankoloba insists that the BPP’s resurgence is not a bluff or a publicity stunt.
It is, she says, the beginning of a quiet but unstoppable movement. “There are people who think we are a relic,” she said. “We are going to surprise them. Our return is patient. It is calculated. And it is very real.”
As the countdown to the December anniversary begins, the BPP plans a series of public engagements, digital campaigns, and community-based initiatives aimed at reintroducing the party to the electorate, especially first-time voters. And to those voters, she said the message is direct: the BPP is back, not as a shadow of its past, but as a contender for the future.
“If you are a young Motswana wondering where your voice fits in this country, come to the BPP,” Sankoloba said. “If you’re a woman who wants more than applause from the sidelines, come to the BPP. This is not just the rebirth of a party; it is the beginning of something bigger than all of us.”
Whether the party’s resurgence translates into electoral success in 2029 remains to be seen. Currently, the BPP has four Members of Parliament for the first time and more than 34 councillors.