BNF councillors resign from Audit Committee

DIRANG LEKUNTWANE
Correspondent | Friday June 17, 2011 00:00

The three councillors are Timothy Mmopi of Mookane, Mogalakwe Mogalakwe of Mosolotshane and Boetelo Keokhubametse of Shoshong North.  The three have indicated that during committee elections, the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) members used their numerical strength to elect themselves into strategic committees hence they were elected to the Audit Committee. 

They are also not happy that while various Sub council committees meet almost every month, the Audit Committee meets only once in three months.

In a statement, the three opposition councillors cited being marginalised as another factor they are not happy with.  They said not much is being done in the Audit Committee with the BDP Councilors using their numbers to vote themselves into several committees hence they are in positions to infuence decision making.

'Decisions are made at committee level, so by being excluded in other committees we do not have a chance to influence council decisions,' says the statement from the representatives.

 They further state that the matter regarding their complaint was taken up with the Mahalapye Sub Council Administration and it was agreed that they be elected to other committees.

'Some months down the line the administration renegaded on the decision citing unconvincing reasons, that one cannot be a member of other committees when he and or she is a member of the Audit Committee,' reads the statement.

The three indicate that to their amazement, it is only the Mahalapye Sub Council which does not allow Audit members to belong to other committees, and it was resolved by the Central District Council that members of the Audit Committee can sit on other committees until the matter is clarified.

'In that case it is our considered conclusion that nominated councillors are the ones who must be members of the Audit Committee as they do not have people's mandate, otherwise it is best we are not members of any committee, hence we resigned,' they state. Efforts to reach the Council Secretary for comment were not successful as he  was said to be on leave.