Mangole invites �expelled� members to appeal

Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Friday July 7, 2017 17:48

 

This was after the party wrote letters to the expelled members to appear before the committee. The expelled members include party president Ndaba Gaolathe, vice president Wynter Mmolotsi, BMD women league president Joyce Mothudi, Pako Keokilwe, Harriet Rampa and former BMD youth league president Phenyo Segokgo. 

“The national disciplinary hearing committee of appeal of Botswana Movement for Democracy will sit at 10 in the morning Saturday 8th July 2017 at the office of the movement to commence an automatic appeal arising from your recent conviction and sentence of expulsion imposed upon you by the national disciplinary committee of the movement arising from disciplinary charges that had been brought and prosecuted against you,” BMD secretary general Gilbert Mangole wrote on July 4. 

The letter says the national disciplinary committee of appeal invites the expelled members at the sitting to participate in and motivate the automatic appeal and state and substantiate the outcome they desire. 

The six members were expelled from the party after they ignored letters calling them to a disciplinary hearing. They did not attend the first and second hearing.  Earlier this week, party secretary general said the disciplinary committee heard evidence and found that all charges that had been brought against six of the seven members had been proved to the committee’s satisfaction. 

He said six members were found guilty and expelled with immediate effect.  However, the BMD secretary general has failed to reveal the names of people who sit in the disciplinary committee and only said that party national executive committee had appointed it four months ago but their constitution shows that the disciplinary committee should be appointed immediately after party congress.  

Mmegi has learnt that the six members would not honour the appeals committee hearing as they feel the party membership will resolve the stand-off once and for all at the forthcoming elective congress in Bobonong. “My focus is in Bobonong not at the appeal’s hearing. I did not appeal and when was that committee appointed and to serve whose interest? I won’t bother,” Segokgo said. 

The BMD is going to an elective congress in a week’s time, which is likely to be the bloodiest in the history of Botswana politics.