Gaborone Denies Funding Anti-Boko Bid

LEKOPANYE MOOKETSI
Correspondent | Monday July 12, 2010 00:00

 

Three BNF activists - Thuso Mogorosi, Sekgopi Bogatsu and Chalibo Madome - have filed an urgent application with the Francistown High Court, seeking an order to bar Boko from contesting the BNF presidency.  They argue that Boko does not qualify to stand for the elections because his membership is irregular. There have been reports that Gaborone might have been the one sponsoring the trio to lodge a case against Boko.  However, Gaborone has distanced himself from the claims.

Gaborone, who has withdrawn from the BNF presidential race, told The Monitor that he is not the one funding the case against Boko. 

'I am not funding the case,' he emphasised during an interview at the National Assembly.  Gaborone challenged people associating him with the legal battle to forward any evidence they have to prove their case. 'What evidence have they got?' he asked.

Gaborone admitted that one of the lawyers pushing the case, Dumesweni Mthimkhulu, was in his campaign team.  

The South East North legislator said he is against Boko contesting the BNF presidential elections because he does not qualify.  He said Boko does not meet the required period for somebody who has re-joined the party. Gaborone said Boko, who has been associated with the New Democratic Front (NDF) re-joined the BNF in March this year.  

He said the BNF constitution has to be respected.  Gaborone wondered how Boko would run the party properly if elected through the backdoor. He appealed that if things are wrong in the party, they should be corrected without much ado. 

Gaborone announced his withdrawal from the presidential race last month.  He pointed fingers at Boko's supporters, whom he said had been waging a dirty campaign. The Member of Parliament (MP) said he was withdrawing from the race because violence was likely to erupt during the congress, especially if he won the elections.  He said Boko's supporters have indicated that they would die for him. Another BNF activist, Gabriel Kanjabanga, who is also targeting the party presidency, revealed that he has nothing to do with the legal suit. 

'I am not involved, it is their own issue. I have nothing to do with them. I don't want to get involved,' said Kanjabanga, who is also a private attorney. 

One of the applicants, Mogorosi claimed that he is the one funding the legal battle against Boko. The youthful Mogorosi told The Monitor that he is a businessman. He exonerated Gaborone and Kanjabanga.

 'Since I started this matter, I have not met Comrade Kanjabanga. They are not involved in this case,' he said.The applicants' lawyer and BNF activist Mthimkhulu said he had been instructed by Mogorosi, Bogatsu and Madome. 'We have been paid by Mogorosi,' the lawyer said.  

The fact that the case is being heard in Francistown means that there are going to be huge legal expenses. One of the lawyers for the applicants said his clients preferred to file the matter in Francistown. The case against Boko is to be heard at the Francistown High Court this week.