Biggie Butale, after surviving two suspensions, has now fallen from the helm of the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF). Following his third suspension and subsequent expulsion from the party, he urgently approached the court. Unfortunately, the High Court's Justice Zein Kebonang ruled in favour of the Mephato Reatile-led faction, marking Butale's luck running out in court.
Butale has suspected power-hungry party members wanted to 'steal' his presidency. As a means to remain at the helm of BPF, he sought an order to jail five respondents, Lawrence Ookeditse, Tshekedi Khama, Barulaganye Letang, Dr Kolaatamo Malefho, and Reatile.
However, Butale was suspended by the party's disciplinary committee for allegedly inciting members against the BPF, influencing decisions in the recent Mmaphula East ward by-election, not declaring received funds, and collaborating with party rivals to destabilise the party.
After his suspension, Butale retaliated by recalling his vice president, Reatile, the secretary for information and publicity, Ookeditse, and the secretary for health, Malefho, from their positions in the national executive committee and suspended them from the party.
Hit with an expulsion from the party he fought so hard to captain, Butale then rushed to court.
Nonetheless, Kebonang dismissed his application for relief sought. "Further, in the absence of a stay, the decision of the DC to suspend and dismiss Butale from the party remains valid and enforceable until set aside. The applicant has failed to vitiate his suspension and subsequent expulsion in that such decisions were lawfully taken by the party's appropriate forum being the disciplinary committee," Kebonang said.
