The governing Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) faces a serious threat after its Barata-Phati (‘those who love the party’) faction walked out and launched the Botswana Movement for Democracy last month. Already the BDP is losing support: four of its members of Parliament have defected and several local party organisations have gone over to the BMD, including most constituency branch committees in the capital, Gaborone. Most of its youth leagues have defected, too. The new party’s organiser, Kabo Morwaeng, claims it has recruited more than 10,000 members. It hopes that at least seven BDP MPs will defect, which will wound but not kill.
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