“New board elected legitimately” – COSBOTS tells Solo B, Lecco

GOSEGO MOTSUMI

COSBOTS says the election of its new board members- Tomeletso Sereetsi, Game Zeus Bantsi, Trinity Mpho, Alfred Mosimanegape, Mpho Nakedi and Winani Sekani – was legitimate and compliant to Section 36 of its constitution.
This is after former COSBOTS board member Bame Solomon Monyame and Lekopanye Lecco Monosi challenged their election in a letter they wrote through their lawyers, Rabatshwa Attorneys, saying the agenda and notice of Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 26th August was for the election of two vacant board positions and not six.
Monyame and Monosi in their letter dated 28th August seen by Time Out say the election of the six board members was irregular and as such the new board “has no mandate from the membership to run the affairs of COSBOTS”. The pair argue that   an extraordinary general meeting should be convened as soon “to conduct a valid election to fill up the vacant positions” and that directors purportedly elected on 26th August be “barred from exercising any functions of the board”.
COSBOTS Communications Manager Seeletso Lekgaba however dismissed complaints against the board saying the, “COSBOTS Constitution section 36 allows for the board composition to have 2 composers or Authors, 2 Publishers, 2 Producers of Sound recordings and 2 Music Performers,” she said, explaining that the new board had resumed office and the legal process will take its cause for other issues.
Lekgaba said since the last AGM there are many issues that need clarity including, the contentious COSBOTS legal opinion, forensic audit just to name a few. “So, every agenda item needs to be exhausted to the satisfaction of the members,” she added.
According to sources, the new board was elected after a 20 hour wait, something which Lekgaba says did not affect the turn out, saying it was the highest COSBOTS has ever experienced. Sources also say the Botswana Council of Non-Governmental Organizations (BOCONGO) was roped in to run the elections and was paid an extra P48 000 for the job.
In addition to elected directors, two were nominated by their associations and endorsed by the members at the AGM. The  directors include Benjamin Mogotsi  from Writers Association of Botswana, Patrick Setsiba from Ngwao Loshalaba Association and Staffnurse Bangu Lesetedi – Keothepile who is an ex-officio director.