Mmegi

Kgosi appeals against Pule’s Bulela Ditswe triumph

Pule and Kgosi PIC: INNOCENT SELATLHWA
Pule and Kgosi PIC: INNOCENT SELATLHWA

The losing parliamentary candidate for the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) in the Kgatleng East constituency, Lucas Kgosi, has joined the list of those appealing their defeats in the recently held Bulela Ditswe primaries.

Kgosi has served Tsholetsa House with a letter in which he raised an array of concerns regarding the recent BDP primary elections that took place in the constituency. The Assistant Minister for Local Government and Rural Development Mabuse Pule won the BDP ticket to the 2024 General Election by a margin of 109 votes at the primary elections held recently. Pule polled 1, 472 followed by Kgosi's 1, 363 votes, while Pakiso Pule got a paltry 127 votes.

Kgosi states that as much as he wanted to concede to a defeat, it has now emerged that there was an apparent gross irregularity that cannot be ignored. "One such concern is that a fellow candidate, Mabuse Mompati Pule, had access to the voters' roll a day before the elections while I was denied the same even on the voting day and somehow hundreds of names of democrats particularly in Modipane West ward and Dikwididi-Mabalane ward went missing from the voters’ roll, depriving democrats their rights to cast their votes. Many of my immediate family members and close friends were not spared from that anomaly," he said.

Kgosi further states that Malolwane ward was also marred with 'maladministration and irregularities' including campaigning inside the polling station and missing names in the roll. He states a surge of discrepancies was noted at Sikwane-Mmathubudukwane-Ramonaka ward where three polling stations were using the same voters' roll. "I have, therefore, gathered overwhelming evidence which includes an audio recording of democrats confessing that they have cast their votes in two or all the three polling stations assisted by (Mabuse) Pule’s campaign team as there were no mechanisms in place to curb the same. I am also in possession of a video of Mabuse Pule campaigning inside the polling station at Mmathubudukwane and distributing merchandise while democrats were in a queue to vote. These have seriously dented the integrity of the electoral process and produced the flawed results which do not in any way represent the true will of the people in the aforementioned ward," he states. According to Kgosi, a night before the elections, Pule’s team leaders, Thuso Sename and one Mr Biggie, were seen interacting with the polling agents and buying them food at KFC at Phakalane, which is against the party’s electoral act as it brings doubt into the fairness of the officers and undermines the element of impartiality. "On the election day, my observers at Mabalane and Mmathubudukwane polling stations were chased out of the polling stations for a couple of hours while the elections were ongoing only to be admitted back after my intervention, which naturally attracted suspicions. To this date, I continue to receive intel from Pule’s camp and Good Samaritans as to what transpired. I humbly request your esteemed office to urgently indulge in this matter with due diligence and highly consider a re-run in Modipane West ward, Dikwididi-Mabalane ward, Sikwane-Mmathubudukwane-Ramonaka ward and Malolwane ward under strict democratic principles and rules and the committee’s watchful eye to protect the integrity of the elections and bring upon desirable results and a democratically elected candidate with the prospects of retaining the constituency for the party during General Election," he states.

Kgosi also calls on the party to take serious action against the culprits who by their actions intend to bring the party into disrepute. He states that contrary to what Pule "rushed to post" on his Facebook page, he has not conceded to a defeat of a defective and flawed electoral process. "I had pledged my full support to the party and by extension to him provided the elections were free, transparent and fair but the immediate preliminary findings after the election postmortem suggests that the latter did not pass the litmus test, hence this urgent appeal. I trust that the Political Education and Electoral Committee (PEEC) shares my commitment to upholding democratic principles and safeguarding the integrity of our party's internal elections. Your prompt attention to this matter would be greatly appreciated as we work together to address these concerns and uphold the trust of our constituents," he said. Contacted for a comment, Pule expressed shock that Kgosi had changed his stance on accepting the results. "I am shocked that at a time when I thought we should be working together to win the constituency for the BDP now there is a complaint. He had accepted the results. Also, he has not filed any complaint with the branch as far as I know. I suspect he is working with some people with personal vendettas. I have worked hard for this constituency in the last five years and people appreciate me. He shockingly got good numbers when he was just new. One wonders how he managed that," he said.

Pule dismissed all the claims by Kgosi stating that he was also affected by some problems like people missing on voter rolls and other problems that came during the elections. He insisted that Kgosi should as per the dictate of the BDP constitution support him as the winner of the primary election. He said as far as he knows, they are waiting for the party to bring them together and start working towards the October polls.

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