BCP wants stiff penalty for mokoko
Chakalisa Dube | Thursday September 21, 2017 16:14
Dabutha, a BCP member, is contesting the by-election as an independent. In a letter dated September 19, 2017, the BCP want the IEC to move swiftly and halt Dabutha from using its lime colours and “accordingly penalise her for her conduct”.
In addition, the party bemoaned that the use of lime colours by Dabutha is causing a lot of confusion amongst its members in the ward.
Furthermore, the BCP has slapped Dabutha with a suspension from the party pending a disciplinary hearing for ‘illegally’ using its lime colour and contesting the by-election independently while she is still its member.
The BCP is backing a Botswana National Front (BNF) candidate, Mdala Mdala at the by-election. In terms of the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between UDC and BCP--signed before the BCP joined the UDC-- a party, which had the highest number of votes at the 2014 general elections, has the right to nominate a candidate in the event of a parliamentary or council by-election.
At the 2014 general elections the UDC was represented by a BNF candidate (at Tshimoyapula) who attained the highest number of votes than the BCP meaning that by virtue of the MoA, the BNF has the right to nominate and field a candidate for the next month by-election.
The BCP was represented by Dabutha in 2014. Yesterday, the IEC wrote to the BCP promising to effectively address concerns raised by the latter. IEC secretary, Keireng Zuze purportedly wrote the letter. In the letter, the IEC said that Dabutha has been granted permission to use black and white colours instead of lime green. Yesterday, BCP president, Dumelang Saleshando confirmed the letter they wrote to the IEC. He also confirmed Dabutha’s suspension from the party.
“We will sanction her for a hearing soon. Officials from the IEC have also responded to our complaint letter.
They have promised to appropriately deal with our concerns,” Saleshando said. Efforts to get a comment from Dabutha proved futile. After repeated efforts to reach her, her phone was finally answered by a man who said that she (Dabutha) was busy on the ground campaigning. IEC spokesperson, Otsile Maroba said that he was not aware of any communication between BCP and his organisation. “I, however do not rule out the possibility that there was such communication because I have been out of the office for sometime,” he said.