Serowe to decide the fate of the lone wolf :: Mmegi Online

The Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) goes into the congress this weekend in Serowe looking like a lone wolf at a divergence in the road. One path leads through the dense, independent forest of tough undergrowth, with fewer companions and uncertain terrain. The other path leads back to the pack, a highway of coalition politics that is faster, but less of an individual journey. Tomorrow, the delegates will choose whether the lone wolf stays or returns to the pack, writes Mmegi Staffer SPIRA TLHANKANE

The incumbent Mephato Reatile is urging the party to trust the forest, believing that only by staying separate can the BPF define itself, keep its colours bright, and not be swallowed by the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC). His presidential challenger, BPF secretary-general Lawrence Ookeditse, meanwhile, carries a gentler voice of caution. He insists the road to 2029 is smoother together in the highway and that the party is tired of hitting stones alone.

The BPF heads into its much-anticipated congress, and the air is thick with tension, loyalty, and political calculus. What began as a party founded to carry forward the legacy of former president Ian Khama now stands at a decisive crossroads. The party is torn between maintaining its hard-won independence and rejoining the ruling UDC coalition.

Already have an active account? Log in here.

Or Sign up and get unlimited access to premium articles.

POLITICS
BPF

Explore

More

Serowe to decide the fate of the lone wolf

Reforming the Constitution in a developing country: How mismanaging Constitutional reforms led to electoral loss in Botswana-Part II

Cassava accelerates Africa’s first GPUaaS network rollout

How to survive a four-hour SONA speech without snacks

Record in sight as Sesinyi finds early form

Energy transition should not destroy economies, B20 official says

'GU are naive, vulnerable without the ball'

Non-compliance threatens BAA's existence

Boko hunts for new deals in old ties

GCC should fix the Gabs water flow mess