University of Botswana academic Professor Zibani Maundeni says that primary elections that were held recently south of Dibete by various political parties should be nullified. He also said the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) should have postponed holding the primary elections, South of Dibete slated for this weekend.
Maundeni was commenting on Permenent Secretary to the President (PSP) Eric Molale’s statement that more than 36 000 public servants appeared in voter‘s rolls of various political parties across all 57 constituencies around the country during the recent primary elections. Maundeni said it was not enough for Molale to warn public servants that drastic action would be taken against them but in view of such serious allegations the BDP should have postponed the primary elections for South of Dibete to “clean the voters’ roll.”
“What this means is that the outcome of those primary elections for North of Dibete should be set aside because those people voted illegally. By only warning that action will be taken against the voters is a process that is incomplete. There is need to ensure that public servants do not appear in the voters roll for the weekend elections, hence there is need to have postponed the primary elections slated for this weekend,” he said. Maundeni said 36 000 was a significant number saying it had a bearing on the outcome of the primary elections. “If it is true, that is a significant number which had a bearing on the outcome of the elections, hence the results of those primary elections should be nullified and fresh elections held,” he said.
Maundeni warned the BDP that “Some candidates who are going to lose may use that as an excuse and petition the party. Instead of waiting for petitions, the party should have postponed the primary elections and ensured that public servants do not appear in the voters’ roll.” For its part, Botswana Federation of Public Sector Unions (BOFEPUSU) poured scorn on Molale’s statement describing it as a desperate and last minute attempt to save preferred candidates within the ruling party who are no longer in the public servants’ good books.
“Possibly the PSP is merely engaging in what is unfolding at government enclave which is a culture of “bolatswathipa” and that will not be surprising since his boss (Presidential Affairs Minister Mokgweetsi Masisi) has publicly declared that as his birth mark. It is possible that the PSP in their daily interaction has contacted the same disease,” said BOFEPUSU Deputy Secretary General Ketlhalefile Motshegwa. Motshegwa said “if workers become members of parties is it not natural that they will have to exercise rights accorded to them by the constitutions of their parties and among other things the right to vote. If parties are to deny workers these rights enshrined in their constitutions, then what will be the essence of them being members of such parties?” He warned that Molale’s statement has the potential to disenfranchise voters.
“The PSP has failed to demonstrate that there is any public servant who has published his views on such matters and that he is holding political office or has spoken publicly in favour of any political party as stipulated by the clause he has invoked. Now his gripe is with regard to such members voting at their respective parties, which they did secretly. That does not amount to speaking publicly nor does it amount to publishing one’s views,” he said. Motshegwa said by publishing his statement, Molale as a public servant was himself delving into politics “to protect his boss and other preferred candidates who are on slippery ground after earning themselves the title of ‘enemy’ to the workers.” Motshegwa also said Molale’s statement raises a lot of questions. “Where did the PSP get voters rolls of various political parties; how did he get those voters rolls because such parties would not ordinarily hand them to him? Was security intelligence used to lay hands on such voters’ rolls, what was the PSP’s motive when searching for voters rolls and wasn’t he pushed by political interest?” asked Motshegwa.
He said if by voting it means an individual is being involved in politics, “then what would be the difference between voting at party level and national level because both candidates at all levels are political candidates of a party. Thus we understand all this to be political. So it is confusing for the PSP to say workers can only vote at national level and not at party level.” Motshegwa also said if Molale“…is really concerned about the issue at hand, then he should start with the Director of Directorate of Public Service Management who was reported to be actively involved in primary elections in Malaka village.”
