BCW given 14 days to pay Miss Botswana 2013
Sharon Mathala | Friday August 5, 2016 14:46
The debt emanates from BCW’s failure to award prize money and assets owed to a former Miss Botswana queen and her princesses, who were crowned in 2013.
The High Court ruled in favour of the former Miss Botswana beauties the week of the crowning of this year’s winner. Last Monday, Lobatse High Court Judge, Jennifer Dube heard the application of stay of execution from BCW, who wanted the court to temporarily suspend the auction process.
This follows BCW losing the case in December 2015 in which Miss Botswana 2013, Rosemary Keofitlhetse, and her runners-up, Betty Seatholo and Khumo Leburu, dragged the licence holders to court after they failed to pay them their dues.
Keofitlhetse, after winning Miss Botswana, is owed her first prize. The prize comprises a Peugeot RCJ 1.6 litre vehicle, and accommodation for the rest of her reign, all of which she did not get. Seatholo, first princess, was supposed to receive P70,000 in prize money as well as a P5,000-worth Yardley hamper.
The second princess, Leburu, is owed P50,000 cash prize, but she along with the others did not receive a thebe from BCW.
The court then ruled in favour of the three 2013 pageant winners.
Earlier last month BCW’s property was put up for sale. The property is a two-bedroomed flat with one kitchen, sitting room, bath tub, two toilets, two classrooms, kitchen, storeroom, playground and expected to be auctioned on July 25. However, BCW has asked the court to suspend this order indicating that they would pay the former beauty queens. The court then gave BCW 14 days to pay up. According to the order, BCW should pay Miss Botswana 2013 a sum of “P405,000 in lieu of the first prize vehicle, payment of the sum of P48,000 in lieu of accommodation as well as payment of the sum of P15,000 for excess baggage”.
The first princess will be given her “payment of the sum of P70,000 in prize money and interest thereon at the rate of 10% a tempora morae from June 2013 to date of payment agreed in the amount of P 22,166.67, payment of the sum of P 20,000 in lieu of a hamper and payment of the sum of P5,000 in lieu of a Yardley hamper”.
For the 2013 second runner-up BCW should pay, “P50,000 in prize money and interest at the rate of 10% a tempora morae from June 2013 to date of payment agreed in the amount of P15,833.35 and payment of P20,000 in lieu of a hamper”.