Africa-Press – Botswana. Members of the Pandamatenga-Lesoma-Kazungula (PALEKA) Community Trust on August 19 protested against the trust’s alleged maladministration, poor governance and a lack of consultation by the board.
The concerned group marched from Kazungula mall to PALEKA offices in Kazungula where they were denied entry due to the premises being locked. In an interview, the taskforce team chairperson Mr Skhumbuzo Meshack, accused the current board of refusing to vacate office despite having been elected as an interim board in December 2023.
He said during an annual general meeting (AGM) that was held in June, the community attempted to oust the board through a motion of no confidence, but that act was deemed unconstitutional as procedure was not followed because a notice had not been issued to that effect. He explained that following the AGM, the Trust’s members engaged a legal advisor who drafted a notice aimed at calling a special general meeting where a vote of no confidence against the board would be tabled.
However, he indicated that PALEKA board then approached the High Court to contest the notice, questioning the legitimacy of some of its signatories. This, he stated, caused an uproar from the members who resorted to embarking on the protest to seek answers from the board.
Mr Meshack, who also accused the board of disregarding the voice of the community by awarding contracts to investors without consulting the people, added that the taskforce team had delivered a petition to the Minister of Environment and Tourism, Mr Wynter Mmolotsi on August 8 to mediate on the disputes surrounding the trust.
Responding to the allegations, PALEKA trust board chairperson Mr Kabuzu Kabuzu expressed that the board was within its constitutional right to make decisions on behalf of the community especially when they were under a tight timeline to award contracts. He pointed out that the board had reached out to the community following the AGM in June in order to resolve pending matters and reach reconciliation, a proposal which he said the community declined.
Moreover, he stated that the concerned group, which staged the protest did not inform the board about its planned actions as they only saw the news on social media. Equally, Mr Kabuzu said the board was awaiting the decision of the High Court to permit the trust to hold a special general meeting, which he said was likely resolve many issues.
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