Masimolole to sue IEC, Kgoroba

The former Member of Parliament for Mogoditshane, Patrick Masimolole, is reportedly taking the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to court for his electoral loss in the general elections last year.

Masimolole, who was a junior minister, lost to Sedirwa Kgoroba of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC). His bone of contention is that there were irregularities during the counting process at the end of which he came last in a field of three. Masimolole registered 3787 votes against the winner’s 4180 votes and MacDonald Tumiso Rakgare of Botswana Congress Party’s 3846 votes. 

BG news has established that Masimolole has the IEC as 1 respondent and Kgoroba as 2nd respondent in a matter in which he wants to prove that the IEC counting was not procedural and was confusing. According to court papers, Masimolole argues that the method of counting could confuse observers while the ballot papers of certain parties were misplaced.

The MP for Mogoditshane Sedirwa Kgoroba has confirmed that he will appear before the High Court on March 20 in a matter filed by Masimolole. He contends that the elections went well. The Principal Public Relations Officer of the IEC, Osupile Maroba, also confirmed that Masimolole is suing the IEC.

Maroba says the IRC has instructed lawyers.
This is not the first time that Masimolole is carping about something in the aftermath of the elections. Three weeks ago, he went to the Speaker of National Assembly, Gladys Kokorwe, to complain that Kgoroba was misusing his official car.