Mooketsi withdraws from Boko case
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Thursday April 17, 2014 15:50
Mooketsi, the chairperson for Kgatleng Council has confirmed withdrawing from the legal suit stating that he wants to reconcile with his party leadership. Mooketsi and 11 others had applied to court seeking Boko’s disqualification as BNF president, alleging he forged membership when he was elected to the post some five years back. They argued that he was instead a member of the New Democratic Front at the time of assuming the reigns of the opposition party.
“I have not been at peace with my family and party members since I filed this case. Initially I had not consulted my family about my intention to take the party to court and the party president,” he said. Mooketsi said when someone looks at the bigger picture it is the party which is going to lose not anyone. He said the BNF is bigger than his personal interest and therefore the party has to come first than everything.
Mooketsi stressed that he has also realised that their fights within the party will not take them anywhere and they will affect the party performance in the coming general elections. He said he had pressure from his family that he should reconcile with the party leadership and map the way forward.
The applicants had alleged that Boko’s membership Number 31161 was fraudulent and belonged to the late Freddy Goepamang.
One of the applicants Dumezweni Meshack Mthimkhulu said they are proceeding with the matter. Mthimkhulu said Mooketsi had promised them that he will talk to his family about the matter and re-consider his decision on Saturday but he has not yet came back to them.
While legal opinion is that with Mooketsi out of the picture, the case is weakened, Mthimkhulu, who is also the complainants’ lawyers, insists the court will still call Mooketsi to give evidence.