COSBOTS still cagey about Selotate’s suspension
While Copyright Society of Botswana (COSBOTS) is still cagey about the details of the recent suspension of its CEO, Lesego Selotate, sources within the organisation have revealed that the latter is being investigated for amongst others, organising a candidate vetting system which denied some members’ right and opportunity to be elected at an Annual General Meeting (AGM) last month.
As skeletons tumble out of the closet following the suspension of Selotate, a source close to the issue told Arts & Culture that the issue started last month at the AGM where some of the members in the current board were involved in the vetting process which blocked other potential candidates.
“Selotate conceived a deadly plan to have some candidature blocked and the plan was made with some of his board members in order to award themselves with tenders illegally within COSBOTS. The audit came out showing how he had been running COSBOTS like his farm,” said the source.
Prior to last month’s AGM, Back in 2017 when the board was elected into office, the AGM had been postponed two times because the available members could not form a quorum at the time.
COSBOTS revealed then that the election of board members was handled by an independent organisation, Botswana Council of Non-Governmental Organisations (BOCONGO). Last month’s AGM was held virtually on an online platform.
But during the recent election which saw the current board being elected, the source reveals that Selotate wanted some members to retain their board positions therefore blocking other potential candidates.
“Some of the board members on this current board were not supposed to be there and also numbers don’t add up and it seems like this whole thing was rigged,” said another source who spoke on anonymity.
The source further added that the board is currently divided because Selotate has been accused of giving tenders to selected board members without the rest of the board’s knowledge.
“Money has been stolen and as the person who has been running the organisation, he has to answer for that,” concluded the source.
Asked to state what Selotate was being investigated for, COSBOTS board chairperson Bakalanga Mahoko said he was not in a position to discuss internal issues with the media because Selotate was still a COSBOTS employee.
“What I can tell you is that following the suspension, the investigation process has already begun and it is being handled by an independent body so the board is not involved in any of this,” she said.
Mahoko also said they would share the information once investigations into the matter were over.
Mahoko revealed in a statement last week that Selotate has been placed on suspension until further notice to allow investigations on issues affecting the organisation.
Contacted for comment about his suspension and allegations leveled against him, Selotate said he was in no position to comment about anything at this stage.