Sedimonyane explodes at BPF, claims leaders backed rival UDC
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Wednesday November 19, 2025 06:00
In an interview with Sedimonyane on Sunday, he did not hold back his frustrations, arguing that the limited assistance he received significantly undermined his ability to mount a competitive campaign against better-resourced opponents. Sedimonyane claimed the vote count he received did not reflect his true potential as a candidate. Instead, he attributed the poor performance to what he termed a 'near-solo campaign' where only a handful of individuals joined him out of pity rather than a coordinated party effort.
'The numbers I got are not good because I did not have support,' he said. 'I was on my own except for a few who felt pity for me. I did not have a strong campaign team like other parties. My party’s internal fights badly affected my efforts in the elections. I believe I could have done better if I had support.' What seemed to have hurt Sedimonyane most, he said, was the behaviour of some BPF members who openly declared that they would not support him, claiming instead that they intended to side with the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC).
Sedimonyane said some party members justified their stance by pointing out the BPF’s ongoing cooperation with the UDC, whilst some of their leaders currently serve as Cabinet ministers under the broader opposition coalition framework. 'Even some leaders that I cannot name openly told me to support the UDC. They did not want me to contest,' he added. The remarks have added fuel to the ongoing perception that the BPF is grappling with internal disunity, resource strain, and leadership disagreements, factors that have become increasingly visible in the party’s political engagements.
Sedimonyane believes the internal challenges not only weakened his campaign but also undermined the party’s credibility in the constituency. However, in response to these claims, senior party figure and BPF spokesperson Lawrence Ookeditse offered a sharply different version of events. In an interview during the by-election period, Ookeditse emphasised that the party had indeed provided assistance to Sedimonyane and that claims of abandonment were unfounded. 'We are here helping our comrade,' he said. 'Reggie Reatile is on the other side of the constituency, trying as well to canvass support for him. What he is saying is not true. He is the one who had earlier written to the party saying he had resources, and now the reality is that he underestimated how vast this area is.'
According to Ookeditse, the party’s initial stance was that the BPF did not have sufficient resources to participate fully in the by-election, especially given the large scale of the constituency and the financial strain of preparing for the party congress. He said, however, Sedimonyane and his supporters reportedly convinced the leadership that they were prepared to proceed, insisting that they had the means to run a proper campaign. 'At first, the party position was that we are going to the congress and we do not have resources for a by-election,' Ookeditse explained. 'But they convinced us that they could do it.'
Even so, Ookeditse acknowledged that the party was only able to send a small support team to assist with the campaign, citing limited financial and logistical capacity. He said that the BPF simply does not have the same level of resources as some of the larger political parties, and that it is time for members to accept this reality. 'It is time some members accept that the BPF does not have resources like some parties but has limited ones,' he said.
Despite Sedimonyane’s suggestion that some party leaders encouraged members to support the UDC instead of the BPF candidate, Ookeditse firmly dismissed the allegations. 'He is not telling the truth. Why can’t he name them? Reality is sometimes difficult for one to face,' he said.
Ookeditse stressed that the party did indeed assist with key expenses, including fuel for campaign vehicles, and insisted there was no possibility that BPF leaders would promote another party’s candidate over their own. 'There is no way we can support our members to go against the party,' he said. As the dust settles on the by-election, Sedimonyane’s public grievances highlight deeper tensions within the BPF, tensions that may require urgent attention if the party hopes to strengthen its organisational structure and present a united front in future elections.