Members Snub COSBOTS AGM

Spira Tlhankane | Monday August 21, 2017 16:51

Independent organisation, Botswana Council of Non-Governmental Organisations (BOCONGO) was supposed to handle the electoral process to be decided by a show of hands, but only 104 members showed up. No business could be transacted at the general meeting unless a quorum of at least 710 members was present. In total, COSBOTS has more than 1,300 members who are eligible to vote and were supposed to either cast their vote in person or by proxy.

According to COSBOTS constitution, if within half an hour from the time appointed for the meeting a quorum is not formed, the meeting should be dissolved.

“In any other case, it shall stand adjourned to the same day in the next week at the same time and place, or to such other time and place as the directors may determine.”

Members of COSBOTS, especially musicians have been calling for the AGM when the previous board overstayed their welcome. 

Those who attended were shocked that for an organisation that has been hit with accusations of corruption, members failed to attend where they were supposed to make the best overall decisions on the current and future direction of the organisation. 

Although it is rare that an AGM has perfect attendance at every meeting, the AGM was postponed to next week in the hope that the members will come this time around.

The constitution now allows the AGM to continue next week even if there are not enough members present at the meeting to form the quorum.

“If at the adjourned meeting a quorum is not present within half an hour from the time appointed for the meeting, the representatives of the Founder Member present shall be a quorum,” the COSBOTS constitution states.