‘I don’t know how Masisi found out about Saleshando, Ntuane’- Kokorwe

It still remains unclear as to how Vice President Mokgweetsi Masisi discovered that Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) Secretary General, Botsalo Ntuane was nominated for the Specially Elected Member of Parliament seat by an opposition MP.

After opposition MPs refuted claims that they nominated Ntuane, Speaker of the National Assembly Gladys Kokorwe this week also distanced herself from sharing such information with Masisi. The issue has stirred controversy between the BDP and the opposition Botswana Congress Party (BCP) and Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC).

BCP President Dumelang Saleshando together with Ntuane was on the 12th November 2015 nominated on the floor of Parliament without their consent. Masisi on that very same day released a press statement saying that an opposition MP had nominated Ntuane with the intention of sowing discord within the BDP. Kokorwe had earlier declined to reveal the name of the MPs who nominated Ntuane and Saleshando.

Her Deputy, Kagiso Molatlhegi, after being pushed into a corner by opposition MPs to reveal how Masisi knew that an opposition MP nominated Ntuane when the nomination was made a secret, promised to investigate. Saleshando has since instituted legal proceedings against Kokorwe and Parliament over his nomination. This week Kokorwe revealed that she has never discussed the issue with Masisi. She said she does not know how Masisi discovered that opposition MPs nominated both Ntuane and Saleshando.

“I have never met the vice president after the election of Specially Elected MP. I do not know how he found out because after the election we took the nomination forms and put them away where no one including Masisi could have seen them. Maybe he was informed by other MPs themselves because these people are colleagues”, said Kokorwe.

She said the matter was to be discussed during the General Assembly but this could not happen because at that time Saleshando had served her office with a notice of intent to sue. She said that since the matter is with the courts, it couldn’t be discussed. Even the investigations that were to be carried out had to be halted, said Kokorwe who was briefing the media about the just-ended Parliament session.

Saleshando has launched legal proceedings against Kokorwe, the National Assembly and the Attorney General for accepting his name as one of the nominees for Special Elected MP without his consent. In his notice for intention to sue, Saleshando, through his lawyer Martin Dingake has argued that he never intended to be nominated for consideration for election as Specially Elected MP.  He stated that he never authorised anyone to nominate him and that he has not even consented to the nomination.

Saleshando wants the court to order the Speaker to disclose the name of the person who nominated him. The former MP for Gaborone Central also wants the decision by Kokorwe to accept his name as a nominee contrary to Parliament Standing Orders and other relevant legislation, to be declared unlawful and be set aside. He also wants an order to declare as null and void the decision by Parliament to endorse Kokorwe’s decision to accept his nomination and that the decision should be reviewed.

Kokorwe told Parliament on the day of election for Specially Elected MP that the law was silent on whether a person nominated on the floor of Parliament should have consented to the nomination and whether the person who made the nomination should be disclosed.