The 2010 split of the Botswana Democratic Party

Abstract

This article analyses the 2010 split of the Botswana Democratic Party(BDP), and makes three arguments. First, it argues that BDP leader,and president of Botswana, Ian Khama formented the split in order tosilence the Barata-Phathi faction, which had started to question someof his policies. Secondly, the article argues that the split was linked tothe succession struggle within the BDP. In particular, Khama soughtto neutralize the Barata-Phathi so that he could impose a successorwithout resistance from this faction. Finally, the article argues thatthe Constitution of Botswana, particularly the presidential immunityclause, facilitated the split. As state president, Khama could not be heldaccountable for his actions within the BDP, thus denying GomolemoMotswaledi and the Barata-Phathi justice when the latter challengedKhama’s decision to suspend him from the BDP. Denied judicial redress,and their Kanye victory neutralized, the Barata-Phathi had no optionbut to quit the BDP and form the Botswana Movement for Democracy(BMD) which later joined the Botswana National Front (BNF) andBotswana People’s Party (BPP) to form the Umbrella for DemocraticChange (UDC).