- UDC fail to field council candidates in Maun
GAZETTE REPORTER
Champion Ntsomele, a member of the Alliance for Progressives (AP), took legal action against the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) at the Francistown High Court last week Friday, seeking to prevent the UDC from submitting Kaone Oalotse Thebeng (Botswana National Front) member as a candidate for the Ntloolongwae ward in Molepolole North. Ntsomele claims he was the confirmed candidate for the ward by the AP and presented a letter to support his assertion.
In his court documents, Ntsomele stated that Wynter Mmolotsi and Dr. Phenyo Butale, members of the UDC National Executive Committee (NEC), informed him that the resolution to field Thebeng was false. They asserted that no NEC meeting took place on September 28, 2024, as claimed in a notice issued by Duma Boko & Co.
In their affidavits, Butale and Mmolotsi argued that the information presented to the court was misleading and that no decision had been made to oppose the main application. Ntsomele also contended that UDC Chairman Motlatsi Molapisi, who signed the disputed resolutions, lacked the authority to do so on behalf of the NEC.
Ntsomele pointed out that the UDC constitution states that only the Secretary General (SG) can authenticate and communicate decisions made by the NEC. His affidavit emphasized that any minutes or decisions must be confirmed by the SG, as the custodian of all UDC records.
Although Ntsomele lost the case, he questioned the legitimacy of the notice of opposition filed by Boko & Co. He argued that the resolution and power of attorney, submitted three days after the notice of opposition, lacked proper signatures and verification. He contended that the person who signed the documents was not properly identified, and the power of attorney was incomplete.
Justice Ketlogetswe presided over the case and ordered Ntsomele to pay the costs.
Meanwhile, the UDC faced setbacks in the Maun constituencies, where they failed to field council candidates in two wards, Moeti (Maun North) and Komana-Nxaraga (Maun West). The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) disqualified two council candidates in Moeti ward, Kedibonye Kgari and Ismael Gaamangwe, both from the AP, due to nomination letters signed by UDC President Duma Boko.
In Komana-Nxaraga ward, confusion arose when the Botswana National Front (BNF) presented Kedirakano as a candidate, despite the AP having allocated the ward to Isaac Maatabaseyo.