Tawele gets nod to contest BCP primaries
Chakalisa Dube | Thursday April 10, 2014 12:42
Tawele was initially barred from contesting the primaries after the party said he had become inactive following the 2009 elections.
“The party leadership made the decision late on Tuesday. It was informed by a report submitted by a commission set up by the party to investigate Tawele’s involvement in party activities. The report recommended that primaries be held after the commission found that Tawele was active in the party after the 2009 general elections,” BCP secretary general, Dr Kesitegile Gobotswang, said yesterday.
After he was locked out of the primaries last year, Tawele threatened court action prompting the party to set up an independent commission in February to deal with the case. Private attorney, Friday Leburu headed the three-man commission. The other commissioners were Kealeboga Mosedame, a businessman and a University of Botswana academic, Dr Glorious Gumbo.
Yesterday, Leburu would not deny or confirm that he led the commission, referring all queries to the BCP leadership.
Gobotswang said that all parties concerned have been informed about the decision to hold primaries on May 5. But yesterday, Tawele said he is in the dark about the decision while Mamela refused to comment.
“A lot of things have been written in the newspapers with regards to Francistown South and only Tawele was contacted at the time. Why am I being contacted now? Go ahead and write what you want,” he said.
After its appointment in February, the independent commission recommended that in order for the BCP to reach a conclusive decision on Tawele’s case, there had to be enough tangible evidence on whether or not he was involved in party activities.
The BCP then gave the commission two weeks to liaise with concerned stakeholders to ascertain the matter, with the period expiring last Wednesday.