Gaolathe resigns from BDP

Staff Writer | Friday April 23, 2010 00:00

Segaetsho Garekwe prosecuted and Ambrose Masalila presided at the hearing,which was held at Maharaja restaurant.

As soon as the proceedings started, Masalila read out the charges and handed over to the prosecutor. The prosecutor put it to Gaolathe that the party disciplinary committee wrote to him to explain his 'untoward' behaviour some time back but that he had not responded.

Gaolathe: I had pressing family matters to attend to. I actually had to take a Sabbatical.(Ndaba's father has been ill and hospitalised in South Africa for some time).

Garekwe: That is not a reason enough. In this era of modern technology, you could have faxed or e-mailed.

Gaolathe: I am not here to defend against the charges. I am here to state my case. Mr Chair I give you the choice to use your discretion to listen to me or Mr Garekwe, because I am not here to defend charges against me.It is more of party and national issues. The choice is yours: You can allow me to state my case now or to give you papers stating my case.

Masalila: In that case you can give me the papers and we adjourn for 30 minutes.

Garekwe: I object because he has said that he is going to talk about government and national issues.

Masalila: In that case I am not taking the papers. (He gives the papers back to Gaolathe).

Gaolathe: I am not here to argue aspects of this case. Mr Garekwe can do that...quote the constitution...Actually I am here to inform you that I am resigning from the party.

As chair and prosecutor sat silent, clearly shocked by the unplanned turn of events, Gaolathe went on to tell them that they should appreciate the fact that he could come all the way from South Africa to sit at the hearing. That, he said meant that he respected the party leadership. What the BDP leadership needs to do, he said, is to give people who are resigning an opportunity to say why they are resigning.

Ndaba, once said to be in former President Festus Mogae's kitchen cabinet was charged for colluding with other colleagues in selecting their own candidates for special council and legislator nominations, thus undermining the decision of the BDP caucus, and bringing the party into disrepute.

The hearing drew dozens of University of Botswana students, among them members of the University of Botswana Student Representative Council, who are said to be sympathetic to Gaolathe.