The battles lines have been drawn as suspended Botswana National Front (BNF) members squared up in court on Monday, seeking the court to declare the positions of BNF president and central committee vacant.
But the BNF president Duma Boko views the application as nonsensical argument that will never materialise.
Incensed members of the BNF who were suspended have vowed to challenge the leadership of the party, arguing that the position of BNF president and the central committee be declared vacant since they joined the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC).
Suspended Gabriel Kanjabanga revealed in an interview that Duma Boko is no longer the president of the BNF after he joined another political party.
“He is the president of UDC,” stated Kajabanga. “The BNF constitution clearly spells out that if a BNF member joins another party, he ceases to be a member of the BNF. We want the court to declare the position of president vacant and the central committee seats vacant.”
Kanjabanga, who will be representing the incensed BNF members, stated that Boko’s move to join another party as the president has already dismantled the BNF, a party that he feels should not be discarded to the periphery of Botswana politics. According to Kanjabanga, the BNF is a society in its own status and cannot form another society.
“How is it possible that the BNF can form another society while it is itself a society on its own status? BNF is not a company that can form its own subsidiaries. It’s a society and a society, according to the law, cannot form another society,” said Kanjabanga.
He explained that the law itself clearly states that a society will never register another society and painted Boko’s move as another journey aimed at diminishing (the stature of) BNF in the political spheres of Botswana politics. He says Boko’s move is calculated to dismantle the BNF, which is one of the long standing opposition parties in the country.
Quizzed on what will possibly happen since the BNF is already using the BNF symbol on the new opposition Umbrella for Democratic Change, Kajabanga maintained that the court verdict will pronounce on that the verdict will lead them to the next destination, which he said is aimed at bringing BNF to its respected political life.
“Unions and student movements can join the BNF according to the constitution as affiliates but the BNF constitution does not allow the BNF to join other societies,” said Kanjabanga.
Kanjabanga is hopeful that they will win their case when it enters the High Court on Monday, saying that their application to have the court declare the BNF presidency and central committee seats vacant will be part of the ongoing case in which they are challenging the BNF’s move to join the Umbrella, saying that the cases will not be divorced from the current application that will be heard before the High Court on Monday.
Meanwhile, Duma Boko told The Sunday Standard that Kanjabanga was making a frivolous and nonsensical application before the court, saying that they will teach Kanjabanga a lesson in court when the case starts.
Boko views Kanjabanga action as a personal move intended to discredit the BNF as a party.
“Let us meet in court. We will teach him a lesson and we are going to seek costs against him as an individual. If he were not a lawyer, I would say he is a mad man but he is still a madman,” added Boko.
