BDP GS-26 chickens out
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Friday April 10, 2026 12:47
The elections for the Student Representative Council (SRC) are scheduled for this Friday (today), after they were postponed last week. However, GS-26 leader Nevile Sechele clarified that the move should not be interpreted as a boycott of the elections, but rather as a rejection of the nomination process.
According to Sechele, the decision stems from concerns over the fairness and timing of the nomination window.
“The nomination window was officially set from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. However, critical updates to student emails, which are essential for the nomination process, were only completed at 3:47 PM,” he said.
As a result, he argued, candidates were left with insufficient time to complete the process. “This left candidates with barely over an hour to navigate the system and finalise submissions,” Sechele added. Consequently, GS-26 maintains that the conditions under which nominations were to be submitted were not conducive to a fair and transparent process.
Sechele said they believe this late-stage update effectively disenfranchised their candidates, making a successful and thorough nomination nearly impossible within the remaining timeframe. GS-26 says they formally question the appointment of Mpho Magodi as the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO). “Given his recent history as the Chairperson and Acting Chairperson of Moono wa Baithuti, his neutrality in overseeing an all-student election is under significant scrutiny,” he said. The GS-26 believes that the role of CEO requires an individual who is free of recent partisan affiliations to ensure unbiased oversight. Furthermore, they raised serious concerns regarding the involvement of Oratile Mmeriki, whom they allege is a bona fide member of Moono wa Baithuti and who also holds a seat on the Student Judiciary.
According to them, the overlap between a partisan member and the judicial body responsible for resolving election disputes presents a clear conflict of interest and threatens the checks and balances of their student governance.
However, they said GS-26 remains committed to the principles of transparency and justice. “We cannot, in good conscience, participate in an election where the playing field is uneven and the oversight bodies lack the appearance of total impartiality,” Sechele said.
They called upon the relevant authorities to address these systemic issues to restore faith in democratic institutions. Historically, the GS-26 and Moono wa Baithuti have been the ones winning SRC elections, while the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) wing is known as the Student Congress.