BCP bemoans justice delayed
Chakalisa Dube | Thursday January 21, 2016 18:00
It is now more than two years since the police announced that they had opened investigations regarding a bogus petition in Francistown West.
The BCP wrote to the Commissioner of Police requesting that those behind the petition be charged. Signatures of two BCP members were found in the forged petition. The BCP backed its request with an affidavit from the two members, Thabo Nyambe and Noah Mmusi.
“The matter has been delayed for a long time without any thorough explanation,” Dithapelo Keorapetse, the BCP spokesperson, said. “When there are such delays as a party we are made to believe that someone in the echelons of power be it the police or minister is trying to block the matter from being finalised. It appears as if there is no action at all from those tasked with dealing with the matter.”
He continued: “Lack of tangible action from the authorities is sending a message that those who commit crimes in the name of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) are not subjected to the due process of the law.”
Keorapetse said that what was worrying is that the bogus petition influenced the then acting president Ponatshego Kedikilwe to postpone the Francistown West by-election.
He added: “To lie to the president is a serious violation of law and attracts a jail sentence. The petition was also an act of fraud which is a serious offence but it is worrying that the police have gone quiet about the matter.”
Keorapetse admitted that it is difficult for the BCP to force the police to act on the petition.
“We can only rectify other issues once we are in power,” he said. “Those who committed criminal acts without being prosecuted by the BDP government will be dealt with once we are in power.”
In November 2013, Zazambi Tuelo who is now a specially elected councillor submitted a petition to the president, which called the Independent Electoral Commission, to allow Ignatius Moswaane to contest the Francistown West by elections.
Tuelo said he was representing more than 1,000 Francistown West residents who were said to have signed the petition. Moswaane had been barred by court from contesting the elections.
The then acting president Kedikilwe postponed the by-elections but it later turned out that the petition was fake.
Following the BCP request for an inquiry, police said that those found to have been behind the forged petition would be charged with intent to defraud and or deceive.
Yesterday police spokesperson Dipheko Motube told Mmegi that the police were still investigating and no one has been charged in connection with the petition. Asked why the investigations have taken a long time a non-elaborate Motube said, “it is common for some investigations to take a long time”.