- Accuse Moruakgomo of conniving with the government
- Accuses him of deviating from BALA mandate
- BALA President dismisses the allegations
- Says he is fighting in their corner
SESUPO RANTSIMAKO
FRANCISTOWN: An attempt to topple the President of Botswana Association of Local Authorities (BALA) Reverend Mpho Moruakgomo through a motion of no confidence is said to be secretly gaining momentum. The Botswana Gazette is privy to details that a concerned group within the BALA executive committee is leading a campaign to unseat the President of the controversy ridden association.
The plan to oust the President was prompted, according to sources close to the development, by his failure to fulfil the primary mandate of the association, which is the advocating for councillors’ welfare. The concerned group is accusing Moruakgomo of deviating from the primary mandate of association by adopting a government position to the detriment of the association’s members.
According to the group, the BALA president’s failure to implement welfare policies for its members was evidenced by the recent meeting organised by BALA to address Sowa Town councillors. At the meeting Moruakgomo reportedly persuaded Sowa Town councillors to withdraw their legal challenge against the Ministry of Local government and Rural Planning.
According to insiders BALA President felt that it was unnecessary to take government to court over the demanded allowances. “This meeting proved that indeed Moruakgomo is conniving with the government to fight against the people who voted him. How can he persuade the councillors to stop fighting for their welfare while instead he could be helping them,” an insider wondered.
According to BALA the meeting left Sowa Town councillors reeling in anger accusing Moruakgomo of being used by the Minister. The councillors felt that BALA was used to fight government battles against the interests of association members.
The meeting to oust Moruakgomo followed in the wake of the Sowa Town councillors and the Ministers of Local government saga, where the Minister responsible Pelonomi Moitoi announced at a kgotla meeting that she had dissolved the council. The Minister stated that the dissolution was constituted by the councillors’ failure to do their work they were sworn for. The Minister’s remarks provoked the councillors who contemplated taking legal action for defamation of character.
Reached for comment Moruakgomo wondered why the Sowa Town councillors want to accuse him of conniving with the government while he was sent by the association members to find a common ground of resolving and addressing their concerns. He said as BALA President he was given the mandate by the members to engage Sowa Town councillors on the dispute with the Minister. “I did not connive with the government at any level, actually I was fighting in their corner pleading the government to leave the decision of dissolving the council. Maybe if BALA did not intervene the government could have dissolved the council and this is what we did not want,” Moruakgomo said in an interview.
Moruakgomo dismissed the suggestion that he was persuading the councillors to withdraw the matter from court stating that he was only advising them to give the council the power of attorney as prescribed by the law.
He said those who feel aggrieved and plan to topple him through a motion of no confidence should follow BALA constitution. “Our association has a constitution and those who want to topple me should follow it,” Moruakgomo emphasised.