BNF seeks unity post turmoil
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Monday January 26, 2026 06:00
Such an announcement comes against the backdrop of persistent factional tensions, public spats amongst members, and continued use of temporary communication platforms that were meant to be dissolved after the congress.
Although the BNF constitution requires all temporary structures and platforms formed during congress periods to be disbanded thereafter, Mmegi has it on good authority that several such WhatsApp groups remain active post congress. Some of these platforms, sources say, have become spaces where members openly attack the party leadership and government positions, thus deepening divisions within the organisation.
Addressing members of the media on Wednesday at Cresta Lodge, BNF secretary-general Dr Stephen Modise said the leadership forum is intended to restore cohesion and strengthen internal communication as the party adjusts to its role within the ruling Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC). The BNF is a senior partner in the governing Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) government, which consists of other parties, the Botswana People Party (BPP) and the Alliance for Progressives (AP). The Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) has an unexplained relationship within the coalition government, with two legislators from the BPF roped into the President Duma Boko-led government.
Modise acknowledged that the forum is aimed at bridging gaps between the party’s grassroots membership, lower structures, elected leaders in government, and the central committee (CC), particularly at a time when internal disagreements are increasingly being aired in public.
“This leadership forum is meant to curb situations where we find some of our members openly attacking government positions while we are part of the ruling party,” said Modise. “Some of the policies being implemented are already contained in the UDC constitution, the BNF Pamphlet Number One, or the UDC manifesto. It is therefore important that members understand the position of government,” he stressed that without such engagement, confusion and mistrust would continue to undermine party unity.
Modise stated that the leadership forum is a constitutionally sanctioned body, established under Article 35.2 of the BNF constitution, and is not a reactionary measure but a structured platform for consultation.
The party constitution stipulates that the leadership forum shall meet at least once a year, or as often as the central committee may determine, to deliberate on general party matters. Modise said the forthcoming meeting will bring together central committee members, Members of Parliament, councillors, regional chairpersons and secretaries, as well as constituency chairpersons and secretaries.
He added that the agenda for the forum has been drawn directly from resolutions adopted at the Palapye congress, which, despite successfully electing new leadership, left the party visibly fractured.“One of the key resolutions from Palapye was the need to grow the BNF, to unite the party, and to review the party constitution,” said Modise. “Those resolutions are now guiding the discussions we want to have to strengthen the organisation,” he said.
Since the congress, however, internal disputes have played out on social media platforms, including Facebook and party WhatsApp groups, with some members openly criticising and insulting the party leadership. The situation, insiders say, has been exacerbated by the continued existence of temporary WhatsApp groups formed during the congress period.
The BNF constitution allows temporary platforms, but the constitution goes on to state that they must be disbanded immediately after the new Central Committee has been voted into office by either winners or losers. It says that if those platforms continue and members use them for different lobbies that are against the party, then they will be regarded as factions, and disciplinary measures must apply. The BNF vice president, Moeti Mohwasa, did not shy away from addressing the issue, warning that indiscipline and unchecked internal attacks could erode the party’s foundations if left unresolved.
“Comrades, our party encourages internal debates that are healthy,” said Mohwasa. “What we are seeing now, where people insult one another on WhatsApp groups, Facebook, and other platforms, is not healthy debate. It weakens the organisation.”
Mohwasa said the central committee has agreed to activate sub-committees provided for in the party constitution and to revive collapsed structures at the cell, ward, constituency, and regional levels. He explained that functional structures would help restore discipline and ensure that party processes are respected.
“This will also address the problem where new members suddenly appear only when some individuals want to contest primary elections or elective congresses,” he said. “Strong structures bring continuity and accountability.” The vice president expressed serious concern about what he described as the misuse of membership recruitment for factional ends, warning that the practice could damage the party’s culture and identity.
“Dear comrades, we often put the party into trouble,” said Mohwasa. “As BNF members, we know each other, and we know our culture. Some of these people are not here to build the organisation. They will destroy it if we allow this behaviour to continue.”
In response to the growing concerns, Mohwasa revealed that the central committee will embark on a nationwide tour to assess the state of party structures and engage directly with members. The outreach programme, he said, will allow the leadership to listen to grievances, correct organisational weaknesses, and rebuild trust within the party.
On the financial front, Mohwasa confirmed that the BNF is in the process of settling outstanding legal debts involving the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP). He noted that the leadership is committed to clearing the party’s obligations despite the financial strain.
However, he raised alarm over reports that some party members are facing possible civil imprisonment linked to the 2019 election appeals. Mohwasa appealed to party treasurer Arafat Khan to urgently assist those affected, stressing that they acted in the interest of the party and in defence of democratic principles. “These comrades were fighting for the party and for democracy,” he said. “We cannot abandon them now.” Mmegi has learnt that some of the affected members have been given deadlines to settle outstanding payments, failing which they risk being committed to prison.