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Group files petition against BONEPWA+ board

LERATO MALEKE
Correspondent

A group calling itself concerned members of Botswana Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (BONEPWA+) will today petition the Registrar of Societies over financial irregularities at the organisation.



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The group wants to move a motion of no confidence in the BONEPWA+ board."Kindly be informed that we have tried to exhaust all our efforts and still continuing to do so as People Living with HIV in Botswana affiliated to BONEPWA+ to have our grievances addressed by the relevant authorities regarding the on-going maladministration, unaccountability issues pertaining to BONEPWA+ as well as poor leadership and governance matters," reads the petition.

Recently, during the BONEPWA+ Annual General Meeting at Botswana College of Agriculture in Sebele, the concerned members say that a series of irregularities transpired. "It is with this communication that we are sharing with you for your assistance in remedying this on-going situation," the petition says.

The group said that during the AGM, minutes of the previous meeting were not availed and as such, incomplete record of statement containing an incorrect list of attendees and no items from the previous meeting were produced.

The participants were intimidated to pass the document as a true record. Moreover, the petition says that agenda of the AGM was not approved by the membership prior to the meeting contrary to Article 6.8 of BONEPWA+ constitution.

The petition argues that the general membership of BONEPWA+ has the right to elect a new board without any intimidation every three years. "As such the concerned parties argue that, no elections were conducted, contrary to Article 19.0 and 19.27." It has also emerged that some of the board members whose terms have lapsed unlawfully retained their positions without any justification.

The group said then chairperson of BONEPWA+ Lydia Tlhong violated the constitution of the organisation and caused a rift between the board, secretariat and members. The concerned members say that during the last AGM in Tlokweng, she planned for riots, uprising and vandalism of the Oasis Motel by influencing some support group members to do so as a way to punish the secretariat led by David Ngele.

The group allege that she has tarnished the organisation's name by negatively advising and instructing support groups to write to NACA and the Office of the President on issues that she felt she would benefit from."Her tendency of micro-managing the secretariat has led to some decisions been taken thus influencing the executive director not to renew contracts of some employees. One example is that of the rift between her and the national support groups coordinator and it clearly emerged at the recent AGM where upon they exchanged very serious words in front of the delegates," the petition says.

Tlhong is accused of causing havoc by being unprofessional while hosting donors like NACA, FHI 360, Ministry of Health. The group is calling for litigation and dissolution of the board as it was illegally elected into office. They say the organisation has not submitted its annual returns for 2011, "thus making it a non-existing organisation according to Registrar of Societies Act of 2008".