10 Jul 2022

Justice Gabriel Komboni of Gaborone High Court will on Wednesday deliver a ruling regarding Botswana National Front (BNF) congress.

Prospects of the congress, scheduled for July 16-19 hangs in balance, after some BNF members, Mr Kgakgamatso Kebiditswe and Ms Tlamelo Mpodi made an urgent application to interdict the congress. 

The congress is expected to elect the party’s national executive committee.

However, when appearing for the party on July 7, Advocate Duma Boko asked the court to dismiss the application with costs, arguing that the duo sought to review a decision that the party’s central committee made in October 2021.

Adv. Boko said the decision to hold the elective congress was communicated to all party structures, adding if the two were aggrieved, they could have appealed the decision when they were still within the legal timeframe boundaries.

He said the duo’s allegations of infringement on their rights to organise, choose and to vote among other things, were not true.

Again, he said applicants alleged that preparatory activities leading to the congress had not been done yet they failed to substantiate such allegations.

Furthermore, he said the party congress could have taken place in 2020 but was postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic, adding a notice to hold the congress this year was first sent in October 2021 to all party structures.

He added that the party constitution empowered the central committee to convene the congress.

Furthermore, he said complainants wanted the establishment of a national elections body, which would be a replica as the same structure was in place.

Therefore, he said the applicants were inviting the court to take part in the decisions of a political party, adding when a political party took a decision, the court could not do anything about such.

For his part, Advocate Setso Mokoti for the applicants, told the court that it was an oversight on their part not to affix the applicants’ membership cards.

However, he said the duo had substantial interests in the party matters as members in good standing.

He said the matter was urgent owing to impending congress especially that his clients’ grievance had not been addressed.

Adv. Mokoti further told the court that the delegates to the congress had not been duly elected, hence not qualifying to be delegates. 

Therefore, he said the only place to safeguard his clients’ rights was the court. ENDS