Khama untouchable to GCC
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Wednesday June 11, 2014 06:00
In fact, GCC will not be writing to President Ian Khama and leader of the BDP to remove his illegal campaign posters along the city’s roads.
Yesterday GCC clerk Mpho Mathe admitted that they have not written to Khama, however, they have written to some BDP parliamentary candidates like Botsalo Ntuane, Robert Masitara and Patrick Masimolole.
Mathe explained that they did not write to Khama because they had learnt that the BDP is using him as their campaign manager.
“Khama is not contesting for any elections and he is used by his party as their campaign manager. In most cases, you will find that Khama’s poster is put next to the candidate’s campaign poster,” Mathe said.
“The case is different from the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) President Dumelang Saleshando at the Gaborone Central constituency. Saleshando is the BCP candidate and mostly the posters are his,” said Mathe. For his part Saleshando disputed the reasons advanced by Mathe saying that he has tried to secure an appointment with him, but has not been granted the opportunity.
“The last time I called his office he said he was busy only to serve me with court papers,” said Saleshando.
He said that the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Peter Siele has not approved the by-laws the GCC has been quoting.
“This is political harassment,” Saleshando said.
The BCP leader also questions why the council has not written to Khama because he is also a presidential candidate. “It is a double standard. They are not treating us equally. Why don’t they take him on just like me? They should also cite him,” he said.
Saleshando said the BCP would continue mounting campaign posters and the GCC should stop intimidating them.
Meanwhile, the council has written to Saleshando again to remove his posters. In the second letter dated June 2, 2014, the principal legal advisor Sono Seisa wants Saleshando to explain why he cannot be blacklisted from advertising on council land.
He has been given 14 days to respond to the council’s letter.
On the three BDP parliamentary candidates GCC has written to remove their illegal posters, the BDP executive secretary Sechele Sechele admitted that they have received one regarding Masimolole, whose adverts are currently at the Paul Rantao and Mogoditshane road traffic intersections.
“As the party we do not have campaign posters and we have advised the council to talk to Masimolole to abide by the by-laws,” said Sechele, adding that they have not received any letter regarding Ntuane’s and Masitara’s posters.