Billy who is also the Assistant Minister of Youth, Gender, Sport and Culture, was also absent at Pelotshwaana Primary School during the official announcement of the parliamentary results in Donga. When asked for a comment if he accepted the results or if he will assist Radisigo in the campaign trail in the build up to the General Election in October, Billy briefly said: “I have no comment. I will comment at the right time.” While Billy is keeping his cards close to his chest about his political future, Mmegi is in possession of a letter of appeal addressed to the BDP central committee and copied to the Francistown region as well as the Francistown East branch committee. The appellants in the letter are Billy, and some of his aspiring council candidates who lost during the recent BDP primaries: Morulaganyi Mothowabarwa, Seanokeng Dithobane, Agisanang Ephraim Machete, Gift Malunga, Alfred Letsholathebe, Alec Mompoloki and Chakanaka Manche. The respondents in the matter are Radisigo and some aspiring councillors who won the primaries: Oratile Tumedi, Eric Mabengano, Nametso Griesmier, Tumediso Mbanga and Moagi Koketso. With the exception of Griesmier and Mbanga the aspiring candidates who are cited as respondents were aligned with Radisigo. According to the grounds of appeal contained in Billy and his fellow democrats’ letter, on the eve of the primary elections, a briefing ceremony was conducted for candidates and people who were to conduct the elections on the polling day. At the briefing, election officers were informed that they would be accommodated in classrooms and tents at Pelotshwaana Primary School in Francistown.
The officers were however, not happy with being accommodated in such facilities. As a result of their misgivings, some of the candidates in the primary elections offered them accommodation at their houses, or facilitated alternative accommodation for them, such as at a guesthouse owned by Mbanga in Selepa. Others were accommodated by Koketso, a candidate in Donga Ward; Tumedi, a candidate in Selepa Ward; Griesmeir; a candidate in the Central Ward; Mabengano, a candidate in Ntshe Ward; and Radisigo, a parliamentary candidate in the Francistown East Constituency. Billy and his councillors claim that when officers accepted accommodations facilitated by the candidates, they had voters’ rolls and ballot papers in their possession. This situation according to Billy’s camp potentially compromised the integrity of the primaries.
