BPF has no arrangement with UDC outside Parley – Reatile
Spira Tlhankane | Monday October 27, 2025 12:08
Reatile, who is often blamed for pulling the BPF out of the UDC months before last year’s general election, is seeking to defend his presidency at the party’s elective congress scheduled for November 1 in Serowe.
Speaking during a press briefing to launch his lobby team, Reatile said the decision to quit the UDC was a popular demand from the BPF members. He was quick to emphasise that while some people think he took a sole decision to remove the BPF from the UDC last year, it was the members who opted out. “It was hard to contest alone last year, but I decided to leave the UDC because it was what the members wanted. I held countrywide consultations with members who made it clear that they wanted BPF to go it alone in the past elections,” Reatile revealed.
The former Jwaneng-Mabutsane legislator added that even after the consultations, the party held a leadership forum where it was decided that it is best to contest outside the now ruling coalition. “The leaders reiterated members’ wishes. I wasn’t my decision alone, I don’t rule alone,” he emphasised.
Reatile said even the party’s decision to contest against the UDC in the upcoming by-election is a decision taken by the National Executive Committee (NEC). Asked if they are friends with the UDC, Reatile said after last year's October elections, they decided to align with the latter to safeguard Batswana’s interests. He said outside the establishments of councils and parliament, it is every party for itself.
While Reatile’s challenger and current secretary-general, Lawrence Ookeditse, preached cooperation with other parties, Reatile indicated that the members would resolve. “We are not yet at that stage,” he said.
As the two lobby lists battle for the soul of the party, Reatile, however, clarified that there is no bad blood between him and Ookeditse. “We are not throwing stones at each other, we want Batswana to have a choice,” he said as he launched a lobby list which includes BPF legislators such as Leepetswe Lesedi and Jeremiah Frenzel. Even though the party has been rocked by divisions and conflicts, Reatile maintained that they will come back from the Serowe congress united than ever.