Galebotswe faction sets course for August elective congress
Spira Tlhankane | Monday April 6, 2026 06:00
Led by interim president, Gaolatlhe Galebotswe the committee has firmly rejected the legitimacy of Dr Thoko Muzila while simultaneously charting a new path forward with plans for a fresh elective congress later this year.
In two back-to-back memoranda issued by the party’s Interim Committee Secretary General, Segaetsho Garekwe the BPF has attempted to assert control over a rapidly spiralling leadership crisis by clarifying its position on the presidency and outlining a roadmap toward internal elections.
The developments mark a critical moment for the embattled party, which has in recent months been consumed by factional disputes between Galebotswe and Lawrence Ookeditse’s camps. The two rival groups are claiming leadership and an unending cycle of contradictory directives. At the heart of the latest intervention is an unambiguous dismissal of Muzila’s claim to the presidency, a claim that emerged from a rival faction linked to the Baisago congress led by former party leader Mephato Reatile.
“The disciplinary committee has effected the suspensions of both Ookeditse and Galebotswe as we seek to establish the nature of the issues at hand and determine the best course of action,” read a recent letter from another self-acclaimed DC, which appointed Muzila as interim president of the BPF with immediate effect. But in a strongly worded statement dated March 30, 2026, Garekwe moved swiftly to shut down any recognition of Muzila's authority.
“The Interim Committee of the BPF wishes to inform all members, well-wishers, and the public to disregard recent communication by Dr Muzila claiming to be the President of BPF. Members are cautioned about her purported appointment as the President of the committee arising from the Baisago Congress led by Mephato Reatile,” Garekwe stated.
The statement by Garekwe effectively draws a line under Muzila’s leadership bid, signalling that the current Interim Committee does not recognise the outcomes of processes associated with her rise. Importantly, the committee’s position suggests an effort to consolidate authority within its own structures, distancing the party from parallel claims to leadership that have deepened confusion among members and stakeholders.
“At the September 2023 Baisago BPF National Congress, no subcommittees, including any so-called Disciplinary Committee, were appointed. Furthermore, following that Congress, no such committee was ever appointed by the National Executive Committee (NEC). The only committee established thereafter was the Electoral Board in 2024,” former President Mephato Reatile said in a statement as he dismantled claims about internal committees.
Yet while rejecting one centre of power, the Galebotswe faction has also sought to project a sense of forward movement. In a subsequent memorandum dated March 31, 2026, the Interim Committee turned its attention to rebuilding party structures and preparing for a national elective congress, an event that is now being framed as the ultimate mechanism for resolving the leadership question.
“The Interim National Executive Committee convened on March 30, 2026 and resolved as follows: The selection and appointment of the Disciplinary Committee is complete. The President has appointed the Chairperson of the Directorate of Elections, and nominations of other members are complete. The appointment and notification of the Appeals Board are complete. The date of the Elective Congress shall be the end of August, to be hosted by the Central East Region with Mahalapye as host,” Garekwe further revealed in the statement. The announcement of an August congress represents a significant attempt to reset the party’s internal processes through what it describes as “free, fair, and legitimate elections.”
By committing to a specific timeline and confirming the establishment of key governance structures, including the Disciplinary Committee, Directorate of Elections, and Appeals Board, the Interim Committee wants to position itself as the legitimate custodian of the party’s constitutional order. Beyond structural announcements, the committee has also sought to calm tensions within the party, emphasising reconciliation as a parallel priority.
“The Committee is committed to reconciliation, and efforts are being made to reconcile members of the party at lower structures to be accommodative of each other in the resuscitation of structures. We urge all party members to remain calm, vigilant, and allow the leadership to guide for the purposes of holding free, fair, and legitimate elections under a conducive environment,” it states.
The dual messaging rejecting contested leadership while calling for unity reflects the delicate balancing act facing the BPF as it attempts to navigate out of its crisis. Political observers note that the decision to move ahead with a new congress date is both strategic and necessary. With multiple factions claiming authority and internal processes repeatedly collapsing under dispute, a broadly accepted elective congress may be the only viable path to restoring legitimacy.
However, questions remain unanswered about whether such a process will be accepted across the party’s deeply divided ranks, especially the Ookeditse camp, which still claims that last year’s Serowe congress was legitimate. For now, the BPF appears determined to move forward on its own terms, dismissing competing claims to leadership and placing its hopes in an August congress to finally settle the question of who leads the party. Whether that congress will unify the party or trigger yet another round of disputes remains to be seen.