Court refuses to drop rape charges against BDP councillor

GALE NGAKANE
Correspondent | Friday March 5, 2010 00:00

Councillor James Kgalajwe is facing a rape charge following allegations that he forced himself on a maid at his home at the Selepa suburb in Francistown

Kgalemang, who is representing Kgalajwe, requested that the charge be lifted as the alleged victim has said she was dropping the case.

But Madandume refused, saying she could drop the charges if she had written evidence from the victim.

'As you are saying now, you have no proof that the victim intends dropping the case,' she said. 'We are continuing with the case.'

She set April 8 as the date for another mention where a trial date will also be decided.

Early this year, Kgalajwe was arrested after a female servant at his residence accused him of raping her.

Kgalajwe is said to have arrived home late in the evening where he found the maid alone and allegedly forced himself on her.

The Satellite North councillor found himself in the slammer at the beginning of February after the incident.

Kgalajwe, who is associated with the A-Team and stood for mayoral elections last year, appeared before Principal Magistrate Madandume on February 2 where Kgalemang successfully applied for his bail.

Kgalajwe, who also made a pitch for the deputy mayoralty but lost to Stanley Masalila, was riddled with controversy in the middle of last year when it was reported that he defied a BDP northern region caucus decision on mayoral elections.

Regional secretary Sam Masunga said then that they were shocked to see Kgalajwe running for the positions of mayor and deputy mayor after the party had decided on the candidates during its caucus.

Kgalajwe was one of three people nominated to become mayor but he lost to Shadrack Nyeku. Masunga disclosed then that the regional committee had forwarded the matter to the BDP central committee.

'We cannot continue to have people defying the caucus,' Masunga was quoted as saying. 'Article 32 talks about the caucus and Article 32.3 says that caucus (decisions) are binding.'

Subsequently, Vice-President Mompati Merafhe was appointed to investigate what amounted to factional clashes as the victorious Nyeku was from Barata-Phathi.

Together with four other councillors, Kgalajwe was said to have claimed that they were never invited to any caucus meeting and therefore were not aware of any binding decision ahead of the mayoral elections.

The five councillors reportedly became unruly and uncooperative during efforts by BDP Executive Secretary Dr Comma Serema and Secretary General Thato Kwerepe to gather information about the incident, saying they were aware of a plan to suspend them from the party.