- Party president has confirmed Kgosi Khama IV’s departure
LETLHOGILE MPUANG
Former president Ian Khama is no longer a member or patron of the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF), the president of the BPF, Mephato Reatile, has confirmed.
Khama, now officially Kgosi Khama IV, was sworn in this week as a member of Ntlo Ya Dikgosi (NYD), marking a milestone in his assumption of bogosi after decades in the public service.
“He is no longer a member of the BPF or its patron,” Reatile stated in an interview. “We officially released him after the elections to serve in other capacities, either as Kgosi ya BaNgwato or as a former president.
Campaign manager
“His contributions to the growth and stability of the BPF have been immense, and we will forever be grateful for his sacrifice and service.”
Khama’s departure follows his role as campaign manager of the BPF’s for the 2024 general elections in which the party collaborated with the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) to unseat the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP).
Reatile also revealed that preparations for the elective congress of the BPF are well underway. “Any member who feels fit to run for a position is welcome to do so,” he said but declined to confirm whether he would seek re-election as president of the party.
Tshekedi may return
Amidst these developments, reports suggest Kgosi Khama IV’s younger brother, Tshekedi, may return to Botswana after nearly three years in Eswatini.
Speculation is rife that TK, as he is popularly known, could run to become BPF president.