Botswana Congress Party (BCP) this afternoon withdrew its case against the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC).
The court case emerged last year in the aftermath of the suspensions of BCP president Dumelang Saleshando, who was also then UDC vice president and BCP Secretary General (SG) Goretetse Kekgonegile.
The duo was slapped with suspensions for allegedly openly uttering disparaging and maligning statements about the coalition. At the time, the BCP and the UDC were locked in a bitter battle over the principles and values of democracy, good governance and constitutionalism.
Saleshando and Kekgonegile were initially suspended from the UDC for three months. But the suspensions were later made indefinite after the two took the UDC to the Maun High Court challenging the matter.
The duo had wanted the court to declare that the UDC through its president, Duma Boko has no disciplinary authority over delegates of a group member. They also wanted their suspensions to be declared unprocedural, unfair and accordingly null and void.
The court case has been in limbo as the BCP is on its way out of the coalition. However, on Thursday afternoon, the parties agreed on a settlement to withdraw the application which was made an order of the court. The parties also agreed that each each will settle own costs in relation to the application.
