- Not all ballots submitted to secretary general - Article 11 of BDP Constitution violated - The flaws could afford Serame a rerun - Appellant failed to prove her case- regional committee
Fresh information has resurfaced that could nullify the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) Southern Regional Committee’s decision to reject an appeal by Finance Minister Peggy Serame.
Serame lost against her cabinet counterpart Dr Edwin Dikoloti, the Minister of Health. The region dismissed the appeal on the 15th of August 2024. After the rejection fresh information came out that there could have been a flouting of the BDP Primary elections rules and regulations regarding the securing of the ballot boxes.
It has since emerged that the Returning Officer Thabo Majola, who is the Secretary of the BDP Strategy Committee, exposed the ballot boxes by failing to seal and secure all the ballot boxes and have them placed under the party’s custody at Tsholetsa House following the announcement of the results. This act by Majola and his team, rendered the ballot boxes vulnerable to tampering.
Botswana Guardian has established that following the revelation of some ballot boxes being discovered from one of the Goodhope-Mmathethe Branch Committee member, this could give Serame an edge to secure a rerun for the constituency.
However, insiders at the constituency have argued that this has been the plan all along to have the ballot boxes from all the polling stations falling under the 21 wards unsecured so that there would be a strong ground for a rerun as recounting would not be possible with some of the ballot boxes missing.
On the safe keeping of the ballot boxes BDP Constitution at Article 11 states that all ballots used in any election shall be submitted by the Returning Officer to the Secretary General for safe keeping for a period of six months, or more if there is an appeal relating to that particular poll.
“The Vice Chairperson Ncaa Sekgororwane of the Branch and Secretary Tebogo Keipele took those into the branch custody after the Returning Officer left them at the senior school saying the ballot boxes must be disposed as per resolution by the central committee.
“They did call him on the same day and he said he didn’t need them but if they feel they have to be kept they could do so,” a source within the regional committee said.
In an audio shared in some of the BDP WhatsApp groups a voice purported to be that of the Returning Officer, pointed out that after counting was concluded they left the boxes and took the voters’ roll after taking the forms signed by the candidates.
“We took the signed forms by the candidates or their representatives. It is just administration. They do not change anything. The important paper is the one that has been signed by the candidates.
“Each polling station after counting everyone contesting they signed. But they wanted them to be taken to Tsholetsa House to be kept for six (6) months as per the constitution but what we did doesn’t change anything,” the voice in the audio says.
In rejecting Serame’s appeal the regional committee led by its chairperson Major (Rtd) Walker Motsamai Kegakilwe found that Serame failed to produce evidence to support her case. The committee observed that there is no substance in the ground raised regarding the announcement of contradicting elections results because the Appellant failed to provide evidence that contradicting results were announced.
“The SRC (Southern Regional Committee) notes that the Appellant did not provide any evidence that there was no use of ink and that this resulted in multiple voting.
“Further, the SRC notes that multiple voting could only occur in different voting stations where names of voters appear in voters rolls of different cells as voting stations within a ward.”
The SRC acknowledges that even if it happened, it affected all the candidates equally. No candidate gained any advantage over the other. To acknowledge the issue further, the SRC considered whether the constitution of the party provides for use of ink during voting.
“The SRC found that there is no such provision in the constitution and further that the use of ink is a general practice and not a regulated process”, the committee said in its verdict.
Serame lost against her cabinet counterpart Dr Edwin Dikoloti, the Minister of Health. The region dismissed the appeal on the 15th of August 2024. After the rejection fresh information came out that there could have been a flouting of the BDP Primary elections rules and regulations regarding the securing of the ballot boxes.
It has since emerged that the Returning Officer Thabo Majola, who is the Secretary of the BDP Strategy Committee, exposed the ballot boxes by failing to seal and secure all the ballot boxes and have them placed under the party’s custody at Tsholetsa House following the announcement of the results. This act by Majola and his team, rendered the ballot boxes vulnerable to tampering.
Botswana Guardian has established that following the revelation of some ballot boxes being discovered from one of the Goodhope-Mmathethe Branch Committee member, this could give Serame an edge to secure a rerun for the constituency.
However, insiders at the constituency have argued that this has been the plan all along to have the ballot boxes from all the polling stations falling under the 21 wards unsecured so that there would be a strong ground for a rerun as recounting would not be possible with some of the ballot boxes missing.
On the safe keeping of the ballot boxes BDP Constitution at Article 11 states that all ballots used in any election shall be submitted by the Returning Officer to the Secretary General for safe keeping for a period of six months, or more if there is an appeal relating to that particular poll.
“The Vice Chairperson Ncaa Sekgororwane of the Branch and Secretary Tebogo Keipele took those into the branch custody after the Returning Officer left them at the senior school saying the ballot boxes must be disposed as per resolution by the central committee.
“They did call him on the same day and he said he didn’t need them but if they feel they have to be kept they could do so,” a source within the regional committee said.
In an audio shared in some of the BDP WhatsApp groups a voice purported to be that of the Returning Officer, pointed out that after counting was concluded they left the boxes and took the voters’ roll after taking the forms signed by the candidates.
“We took the signed forms by the candidates or their representatives. It is just administration. They do not change anything. The important paper is the one that has been signed by the candidates.
“Each polling station after counting everyone contesting they signed. But they wanted them to be taken to Tsholetsa House to be kept for six (6) months as per the constitution but what we did doesn’t change anything,” the voice in the audio says.
In rejecting Serame’s appeal the regional committee led by its chairperson Major (Rtd) Walker Motsamai Kegakilwe found that Serame failed to produce evidence to support her case. The committee observed that there is no substance in the ground raised regarding the announcement of contradicting elections results because the Appellant failed to provide evidence that contradicting results were announced.
“The SRC (Southern Regional Committee) notes that the Appellant did not provide any evidence that there was no use of ink and that this resulted in multiple voting.
“Further, the SRC notes that multiple voting could only occur in different voting stations where names of voters appear in voters rolls of different cells as voting stations within a ward.”
The SRC acknowledges that even if it happened, it affected all the candidates equally. No candidate gained any advantage over the other. To acknowledge the issue further, the SRC considered whether the constitution of the party provides for use of ink during voting.
“The SRC found that there is no such provision in the constitution and further that the use of ink is a general practice and not a regulated process”, the committee said in its verdict.
