Opposition walks out in North West council

EPHRAIM KEORENG
Staff Writer | Wednesday September 22, 2010 00:00

The 20 opposition councillors were irate that in his address before the full council on Monday, Bephia recognised and congratulated Galaletsang Mhapha for ascending to the Ngami sub-council chairman position 'under very questionable circumstances,' said councillor Pelokgale Monyame of the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD).

Explaining the circumstances, Monyame who was deposed from the sub-council chairmanship said last week Friday, BDP councillors called for his impeachment.

After failing to secure the two thirds majority to get a nod on their motion, the BDP civic leaders are said to have decided to have opted to have a hand vote where those with the majority will win.

'The BDP has 15 councillors in the sub-council and we lost. The whole impeachment thing was unreasonable.

They claimed that I had failed to ensure that Maun is always supplied with water by pressurizing the Water Affairs department. I found that to be strange because Maun does not fall under my jurisdiction. Areas under my jurisdiction are Komana, Xanoga, Shorobe, Kareng and others,' he said.

Monyame said the opposition councillors refused to partake in the consequent election where Mhapha, a BDP councillor, was installed as his replacement because it was unlawful.

He said that the Standing Orders do not provide for a motion of no confidence against a sitting sub-council chairman who is in a good health and financial state.

'The chairman can only be removed if he is not well and unfit to carry out his duties of chairman or if he is bankrupt. I am not sick and am also not bankrupt,' he said.

After they walked out in protest, the council is said to have continued its business where the council chairman delivered his speech and later remaining (BDP) councilors responded to it.

The civic leader, speaking yesterday, expressed concern that on the morning of Tuesday, Bephia gave the opposition a mere 90 minutes to also respond to his speech.

'He said he will permit a few people to speak from 14:00 to 15:30.

We have however accepted it and as I speak to you we are trying to line up a few people who will talk at the full-council,' he said.

However, chairman Bephia has said he has been generous for giving them the 90 minutes, saying after all the time for responding elapsed on Monday during the councilors' stayaway.

Everyone who had questions, asked them, he said, 'but unfortunately the opposition had walked out. But after they explained why they walked out, I decided to give them this 90 minutes so they can also respond to the speech,' he said.

The chairman said that he did no wrong in recognising Mhapha for being elected to the sub-council chairmanship, saying 'since I am the chairman of the NWDC, it means I am responsible for all the sub-districts under my district.

They say I should not have accepted Mhapha, because they were against the removal of Monyame.

Because I have delegated powers to the sub-councils, I expect them to sort out their problems and where they fail bring them to us proceduraly. 

'So, when they told me they wanted an all-party caucus to discuss the issue with a view of reversing the election of Mhapha, I told them I could not allow that.

They should have met as an all-party caucus at sub-district level to find a solution, not come to me after an election has taken place,' he said.