Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) primary elections saga is far from over.
The Telegraph has been informed that two candidates who were condemned by the party, Christian Nthuba for Bonnington South and Elijah Katse for Tlokweng are plotting to drag the party before the courts as a move to stop BDP from participating in the elections in Bonnington South and Tlokweng constituencies.
“These two matters are sensitive and if not held with care they will cost the party. I am the member of the BDP and a friend to these two candidates. Even though they cannot come out to say their views about the way their cases are handled they are actually not happy at all. I had a conversation with the two of them on different occasions but they both speak one thing in common that they will not let the BDP to take that opportunity from them just like that,” an inside source who did not want to be mentioned revealed.
He added that the situation in two constituencies is likely to be the repeat of what happened in Francistown West, where Wyite Marobela went to court and denied Ignatius Moswaane an opportunity to participate in a by-election.The seat which fell vacant when the BDP Member of Parliament, Tshelang Masisi died was later to be taken by Botswana Congress Party.
“If we take Nthuba case for example his hearing has been postponed for more than four times. We are left with three months to the election but the BDP failed to deal with Nthuba issue for almost half a year, even now he is still awaiting hearing,” said the same BDP member.
Reached for comment Katse said he has not yet received dismissal letter from the party therefore he cannot say what his intentions are going forward.
He said the next action will be determined by the dismissal letter, “just like you, I also hear the rumour that I am plotting to drag the party before the courts but at the moment I have nothing, I do not have any form of letter from the party on which to base my arguments,” he said.
Nthuba refused to comment on the matter.
He however he said the party office has all the answers to the questions this publication posed to him.
Nthuba was suspended last year after being accused of electoral fraud.
He was accused of voter trafficking, among other things.
He has denied all charges against himself.
Katse and his team are accused of unlawfully tampering with the party’s official voters’ roll by removing approximately 400 names of suspected supporters of former Botswana National Front vice president and MP, assistant minister Olebile Gaborone who was Katse’s opponent in the December primaries.
The party further alleges that the conspirators were involved in the trafficking of a large number of voters from Limkokwing University into the constituency in order to prop-up their support base to the detriment of other contestants.
