Court blocks bid to stop UB elections

Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Tuesday April 19, 2016 15:55

Chief electoral officer, Nabadzabo Ngoni, wanted the court to declare that the electoral regulations of the UBSRC elections had not been adopted procedurally and were therefore irregular and unlawful.

Through his attorney, Ngoni who was represented by Keresepe Sekwenyane, contended that the electoral regulations 2015/16 of the UBSRC elections had not been repelled by any competent authority and therefore had force of law for purposes of regulating the appointment of the electoral team and regulating the elections for the 2016/17 SRC elections.

“The court should review the decision of UBSRC and student judiciary because elections are supposed to be held on Monday,” Sekwenyane said.

However, the respondent’s attorney from the UB legal department, Goemeone Mogomotsi, told the court that the matter was not urgent and the chief electoral officer could have raised the issues he was complaining about through the outgoing SRC.

Justice Leatile Dambe dismissed the matter and said it had no urgency.

“The cost is awarded against the applicant and written judgment can be taken tomorrow in the afternoon,” he said.

Dambe’s ruling was welcomed by the Botswana Democratic Party structure at the UB, GS-26 whose supporters chanted songs outside the court.

The Umbrella for Democratic Change UB members who came in support of the chief electoral officer‘s suit were visibly disappointed.

Meanwhile, the elections did not proceed yesterday as planned, with reports that the chief electoral officer said his office was not yet ready to hold the election. No date has yet been given for the elections.