Tlokweng BDP members distance themselves from anti-Katse petition
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Tuesday August 19, 2014 15:02
The concerned members have filed affidavits claiming they were unaware of the petition and that their signatures were forged. Acting Station commander of Tlokweng police, inspector Molebatsi Moremi, said no case has been opened but there is a written affidavit at the police station distancing members from the petition. “They have said they are taking it the matter to their attorney,” he said. Both parties (BDP and Katse) will reportedly use the petition as evidence in their case which is still before the court.
The BDP withdrew Katse, Amantle Mtalapeng, Mmapula Stella Matlapeng and Tidimalo Motlhose Modise’s candidacy after certain party members petitioned the mother body central committee, insisting that they hold disciplinary hearing for the above-mentioned individuals. Part of the petition reads, “We the undersigned Botswana Democratic Party members of South East North Constituency wish to petition the Central Committee to hold a disciplinary hearing against some members, for being divisive, cheating, manipulating the outcome of elections and compromising the fortunes of the party in the forthcoming general elections.” Following their suspension, Katse and his accomplices took the BDP to court seeking to be reinstated as candidates.
Katse’s attorney Kabelo Nkwe said more than 20 people who are alleged to have signed the petition have denied knowledge of it. He said they have also established that some of the petition signatories do not reside in Tlokweng. “These individual’s signatures were obtained fraudulently. The involved persons requested that the BDP members hand over their identity numbers (Omang) claiming that they want to check their names on the voters roll,” Nkwe explained.
Katse, who was supposed to contest as BDP candidate in Tlokweng in the upcoming elections has since been replaced with Olebile Gaborone, who will tussle it out with Umbrella for Democratic Change candidate Same Bathobakae and Botswana Congress Party’s Reverend Jacob Zacharia.