BPF sheds ‘litigious’ tag
Spira Tlhankane | Wednesday November 19, 2025 06:13
The question of legitimacy to the party presidency was settled yesterday with the announcement that Ookeditse, the winner of the contested elective congress in Serowe earlier this month, would take the helm.
To avoid crumbling under the weight of endless litigation, Ookeditse and Reatile sought lawyer Kago Mokotedi to facilitate and mediate a political settlement. Mokotedi told the media yesterday that the resolution was intentionally pursued to avoid court action.
'Ever since the Serowe congress, we have been locked up in meetings trying to resolve this impasse whilst avoiding the litigation route,' he said. 'We took a settlement that would avert litigation and a long, drawn-out battle in the courts. The framework of the settlement was to promote stability, and both parties agreed that the court would not be in the interest of the BPF. We would not be going to court, and the matter has been resolved.'
Ookeditse, the confirmed legitimate president, said the settlement is the perfect example of how to deal with conflicts, especially within the same organisation. 'We have had a lot of conflicts in the past years. We basically lived in the courts and received backlash on social media,' he said. 'After the disputed congress, we then decided that we would be an example of what it is to resolve conflicts in the right way.'
Ookeditse added that the meetings following the Serowe congress focused on what they needed to do for the survival of the party, which was formed in 2019. He said they agreed that Reatile should step down to allow him to assume the presidency.
'For the sake of progress and stability, he will pave the way and allow us to run the party. We have also agreed that there shall be no persecution whatsoever based on Serowe lobbies. We have agreed that all the expulsions and suspensions are set aside and rescinded as we move forward in peace and unity,' Ookeditse stated.
He added that they will set up the party's disciplinary committee to avoid the 'expel-the-expeller' dynamic, which has become the defining feature of the BPF’s tumultuous internal life, with almost every leadership dispute ending in a round of expulsions followed by a court battle. He specified that the committee has the sole power to expel or suspend members, including the president, and that Reatile will choose the chairperson. For his part, Reatile explained that Mokotedi was not the only lawyer who could represent him, but that he chose peace instead of litigation. 'I could have gone to court and won, but it could not have been a victory without peace, and I chose peace,' he said. 'I took the decision in the best interest of the party and to protect vulnerable members of the BPF.' Reatile also disclosed that whilst Mokotedi brokered the deal, elders were also involved in the reconciliation process.
After both parties claimed the helm of the party’s battered ship post-Serowe, many observers expected the men to frequent the courts to take control. This now-infamous litigation culture first gained notoriety during the leadership of Biggie Butale. Each time he was pushed out, Butale ran to the courts for the judges to decide who the legitimate leader was.
Repeatedly, the courts have been called upon to decide the BPF's leadership, a role that should belong to members and the party’s own constitution. From Butale’s multiple reinstatements to the National Executive Committee's (NEC) courtroom battles, judges effectively became the final arbiters of BPF leadership.