the monitor

BPF throws spanner in the works in Kgalagadi South

Political analysts say the Kgalagadi South by-election will serve as a litmus test for the strength and direction of the BPF  PIC: KENNEDY RAMOKONE
Political analysts say the Kgalagadi South by-election will serve as a litmus test for the strength and direction of the BPF PIC: KENNEDY RAMOKONE

The Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF), which made headlines last year after pulling out of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) coalition just months before the 2024 General Election, has once again drawn public attention, this time for fielding its own candidate against 'friends' for the upcoming Kgalagadi South Constituency by-election.

This development has raised eyebrows within political circles, as it contradicts earlier perceptions that, despite the BPF’s withdrawal from the UDC coalition, the two parties still maintained a cordial working relationship.

In the months following the split, some BPF Members of Parliament had publicly expressed their support for the ruling party during parliamentary sessions, a move that left many questioning where the party’s loyalties truly lay. The situation became even more complex when President Advocate Duma Boko’s administration appointed some BPF members to Cabinet positions, an act that many interpreted as a sign of political cooperation between the ruling UDC and the BPF. However, BPF president, Mephato Reatile, confirmed last week that they do not have any arrangement with the UDC outside Parliament and council.

Editor's Comment
Human rights are sacred

It highlights the need to protect rights such as access to clean water, education, healthcare and freedom of expression.President Duma Boko, rightly honours past interventions from securing a dignified burial for Gaoberekwe Pitseng in the CKGR to promoting linguistic inclusion. Yet, they also expose a critical truth, that a nation cannot sustainably protect its people through ad hoc acts of compassion alone.It is time for both government and the...

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