Seabelo threatens to sue Lutheran Church
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Friday December 2, 2016 16:19
Seabelo is a member of the church, and frequents the Ramotswa branch.
In the letter, Seabelo’s attorneys at Uyapo Ndadi’s law firm are demanding answers as to why the church wrote a letter to Ramotswa Police Station demanding details of the owner of the motor vehicle with registration number, B 237 AYB.
The letter is addressed to the secretary general of ELCB Dickson Moyambo, and is dated November 25, 2016.
Seabelo argues that it was defamatory for the ELCB to say that the motor vehicle in question is using the Church’s name to conduct business and that the secretary general would want the owner to be stopped, presumably by a court order. The Ramotswa congregation is split into factions that do not see eye-to-eye as a result of the suspension of Pastor Thabiso Segatlhe by ELCB. https://www.google.co.bw/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=imgres&cd=&ved=0ahUKEwjkiYSL89PQAhVZOMAKHeU-CGEQjRwIBw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.facebookbrand.com%2F&psig=AFQjCNGWpnflwyO625v6Qyqsk1FvJ5UmFg&ust=1480712776539535 On the one hand, there are those who say Segatlhe has no place in the church. while some members of the Ramotswa congregation are in support of the ELCB decision.
The dispute has been referred to the High Court on several occasions with the latest case coming before Justice Michael Mothobi of Gaborone High Court. It has been allocated a date for next May. Meanwhile, in the defamation summons, Seabelo states in the court papers that the church is fully aware that he is the owner of the combi.
“We are informed that the Church is fully aware that the client is the owner and has availed the vehicle to the Church to use. This was done publicly and it is no secret. However, the client is not aware of any business the vehicle is conducting, as the vehicle is exclusively used and controlled by the Church. That is why in the past, the vehicle was attached by Segatlhe, as the assumption might have been that it belonged to the Church,” states the letter.
Seabelo argues that the gesture by the secretary general to enquire about the vehicle has belittled him and was an attempt to portray him as a fraudulent person who carries out business by using the name of the Church.
He further argues that the inquiry purports him “as a morally questionable person who lacks integrity by using the name of the Church for business purposes benefitting him and not the church; a law-breaking citizen whose conduct warrants the intervention of the court of law”. The secretary general was given three days to apologise. The letter says Seabelo is a businessman who has built an image of honesty and integrity over the years both in his professional and personal life. The letter demands that Moyambo should apologise in writing within three working days and copy all the persons or offices issued with the offensive letter or Seabelo will not hesitate to sue for defamation.
“You are hereby afforded the opportunity to mitigate the damages by apologising to Client, in writing within three working days of receipt of this letter and copy ( the apology) to all the persons or offices you issued the offensive letter to,” the letter states. However, it is not clear what the purpose of the handing over ceremony that was held on March 2014 was, and whether the church was fully informed about the combi, what it was for, and whether the ownership issue was finalised. According to the programme of the handover ceremony, the list of sponsors included several companies, which the church believed had contributed towards the combi.
Executive member of the ELCB council, Ben Tingwane told Mmegi that the church has been made to believe that the combi belonged to the Ramotswa congregation, and therefore it paid for all maintenance expenses such as service and fuel.
He said that some church members were using the combi for their private errands yet using church revenue to keep it on the road. Tingwane said that he had no regrets that ELCB fired Segatlhe and emphasised that “all members of the ELCB should know that Segatlhe is fired and holds no position in the church”.
In a previous interview, some church members said ELCB was jealous of Segatlhe commenting that he has contributed immensely to the growth of the Ramotswa congregation, as well as its wealth.
Tingwane has indicated that the church will not apologise for enquiring about the ownership of the combi.