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
Get back what was stolen, and lock the door

That a single private law firm pocketed P6.5 million for just four cases, out of a total P11.1 million paid for 25 matters, reeks of a system that was not merely disorganised but open to abuse.Bayford has taken a welcome first step by telling the Public Accounts Committee the truth. Now he must act decisively to ensure it never happens again and that any money lost to wrongdoing is recovered.The figures are staggering. Whilst ordinary Batswana...

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