Butale’s position under threat

Daniel Chida
BPF PRESIDENT: Butale

Tshekedi may take over- source

Botswana Patriot Front (BPF) President, Biggie Butale’s position is under threat from a faction that is plotting to unseat him.

The newly emerged faction is apparently plotting to replace Butale with former President Ian Khama’s brother and Member of Parliament for Serowe West, Tshekedi Khama.

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Information gathered by this publication has indicated that a team of four men from Serowe is spearheading the deal together with a powerful woman who serves in the party’s central committee.

The group is said to be pushing the party president to call an elective congress soon so that they can vote him out.

However Butale is reportedly reluctant to do that.

“All parties know when they will hold their congresses except us because people have prioritised their agendas,” an inside source from the anti Butale faction said.

Meanwhile a leaked voice note from the party’s social media group has warned party members about the dangers of unseating Butale to replace him with Tshekedi.

“Removing Butale could take us back to the early days when it was alleged that the BPF was formed solely to advance the interest of the Khamas and Bangwato. Factions don’t work and people should not force someone to take a position that he doesn’t want just to spite Butale,” says part of the clip.

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IN DEMAND: Khama

An alternative plan to removing Butale through an elective congress would entail suspending him for incompetency so that it becomes easy for BPF to later fire him, another source has revealed.

However, Butale said that he was not aware of the allegations of a brewing coup against him.

When confronted with evidence that suggested that he could be aware of the plot to oust him, Butale said, “I don’t think there is anyone who can topple me in the BPF, I am greatly loved. But if an unpopular minority by some miracle does the unthinkable I would not quit politics.”

He added that the democratic process in a young party could prove counterproductive to the party’s future growth.

“I hope those are just allegations, I am the President of BPF,” he said.

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Efforts to get a comment from Tshekedi failed, as he did not respond to messages sent to him. BPF is a splinter party from the Botswana Democratic party that was formed last year few months before elections.

It got a major boost from the former President Ian Khama who is its patron.

Khama campaigned for it and travelled around the country during elections campaign.

The party ended up winning three parliamentary seats in Serowe.

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