F’town council severs ties with BALA
NE correspondent
Francistown City Council has resolved to suspend its membership of Botswana Association of Local Authorities (BALA) with immediate effect. The resolution, taken at a full council meeting, follows a motion by Monarch South councilor, Ignatius Moswaane, calling for the suspension of all subscription fees to BALA until all issues relating to members of the Masepala Group of Companies have been resolved and properly endorsed by the council.
Moswaane accused the leadership of BALA of impunity, saying it had no regard for the rule of law. Moswaane claims BALA’s new constitution is a product of a cabal in the executive committee serving only the interests of the cabal.
“The councilors were not involved in the amendment of the constitution,” he argued. He said while the original constitution had individual councilors as members of the association, the new one recognises the councils as members.
“Notwithstanding this, money continues to be deducted from our pay cheques as subscription,” claims the former treasurer of BALA who also revealed that for the past five years, the association has failed to give its members an audited financial statement.
Moswaane, whose motion was seconded by Raoboy Mpuang, is not happy that, after the formation of Masepala Group of Companies, the councilors were not involved in the appointment of its directors.
He even expressed fear that the individuals in the leadership have registered the company in their individual capacity and could legally pass the company on to their children as inheritance. BALA is led by an unscrupulous assemblage of corrupt dictators, claims Mpuang.
“We do not know where our money goes. The executive committee must come here and tell us what is going on,” he suggested. This was despite advice from the City Clerk that a suspension of membership by the local authority from BALA might compromise any interest on the part of the association to honour the invitation to address the councilors.
Ford Moiteela referred to the BALA conference a few weeks ago where some delegates raised exactly the same issues. Insinuating corruption, he accused the BALA executive committee of using councillors’ monthly contributions as their ‘entertainment allowance.’
Moswaane had earlier read from the minutes of the May 2012 full council meeting to remind his colleagues that he moved a similar motion then, which however did not see the light of day because it failed to attract support from the councilors.
With 12 votes in support of the motion and three against, with one councilor abstaining, the FCC is, until further notice, not a member of BALA. BALA president, Rev. Mpho Moruakgomo said no correspondence had reached the association announcing FCC’s action.
