A constitutional dispute has erupted within the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) over the membership status of veteran politician Samson Guma Moyo.
This conflict exposes fresh cracks in the party’s reconciliation efforts and sets the stage for what could become one of the defining battles ahead of next year’s elective congress.
At the heart of the dispute is a letter dated June 30, 2026, in which BDP President Mpho Balopi formally rescinded an earlier decision that had restored Moyo’s membership in the party.
In his letter, Balopi admitted that the reinstatement letter he issued on October 15, 2025, was a mistake and inconsistent with the BDP Constitution. He argued that Moyo automatically forfeited his membership after joining another political party, and that only the party’s Central Committee has the constitutional authority to consider any application for his readmission.
“The letter contradicts Article 7.1 of the Botswana Democratic Party Constitution, which prohibits holding membership in another political party. You forfeited your Botswana Democratic Party membership when you joined the Botswana Patriotic Front. Your lawful return can only be through the constitutional provision on application for re-admission in terms of Article 11.1 of the Constitution,” Balopi wrote.
He added that Moyo had never submitted an application for re-admission to the Central Committee, as required by the party constitution.
“In accordance with Article 11.1, an application for re-admission to party membership must first be submitted and considered by the Central Committee. No such application has been received from you. In view of this, the letter dated October 15, 2025, is hereby rescinded forthwith, as I was not vested with powers I purported to exercise in restoring your membership. My powers are limited to those under Article 34 and no more. I apologise for the said letter having created any impression that you were automatically readmitted,” Balopi’s letter states.
The decision has ignited a fierce legal and political confrontation. Moyo has rejected Balopi’s attempt to reverse the reinstatement, insisting that his membership was lawfully restored.
In a sharply worded response, Moyo argued that once Balopi reinstated him, the BDP president became functus officio; a legal principle meaning a decision-maker cannot revisit a matter after making a final decision.
He also accused Balopi of violating the principles of natural justice by trying to revoke his membership without giving him a chance to be heard.
“Fundamentally, your letter seeks to take away my membership without first according me the right of hearing. This violates the principles of natural justice which require that before an adverse decision is taken against any person, such a person must be given a hearing,” Moyo stated.
Moyo has called on Balopi to withdraw the June 30 letter, warning that failing to do so could spark an avoidable constitutional crisis within the party.
“I request, in light of the foregoing, that the letter of June 30, 2026, be accordingly withdrawn to avoid unnecessary disputes. If there is any dispute about my membership, such dispute must be placed before Congress for deliberations,” he said.
This disagreement comes at a politically sensitive moment for the BDP, as preparations ramp up for next year’s elective congress, where several key leadership positions are expected to be fiercely contested.
Political insiders believe Moyo backs Dr. Thapelo Matsheka in what is shaping up to be a presidential contest against Balopi. Meanwhile, Moyo himself is widely believed to be considering a bid for the influential position of party chairman.
Against this backdrop, the dispute over Moyo’s membership is expected to carry significant political weight, especially if it affects his eligibility to contest party leadership or participate in internal elections.
After his election as BDP president in Maun, Balopi launched a campaign to bring back former members who had resigned or been expelled during one of the party’s most turbulent periods.
Moyo was among those whose expulsion was overturned during this reconciliation effort – a move seen as part of a broader attempt to rebuild unity within the party following years of internal conflict.
Yet despite his reinstatement, questions surrounding Moyo’s membership have continued to simmer beneath the surface.