Motsamai, Motshwarakgole Face-Off

Former Botswana Public Employees Union (BOPEU) President is threatening to take legal action against former National Amalgamated Central, Local and Parastatal Manual Workers' Union (NACLPMWU) Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Johnson Motshwarakgole, over alleged defamatory statements. Through his attorneys, Otto Itumeleng Law Chambers, Motsamai served Motshwarakgole with an Urgent Letter of Demand for Motshwarakgole to retract the defamatory remarks made about Motsamai. According to the letter, on the 1st of February 2026, Charles Columbia Attorneys (Motshwarakgole’s attorneys) served Motsamai with an urgent application seeking various reliefs in opposition to his appointment. Motsamai is cited as the 9th respondent in a case in which his appointment as Secretary of the Public Sector Bargaining Council (PSBC) is being contested by NACLPMWU. In NACLPMWU’s founding affidavit, at Paragraph 37, Motsamai, through his attorneys, argues that certain averments which paint him in a bad light are made where NACLPMWU states that there are unresolved and serious allegations of financial impropriety arising from Motsamai’s tenure at BOPEU, which raised legitimate concerns regarding integrity and credibility. According to the letter of demand, Motshwarakgole further convened a press conference on the 2nd of February 2026 and publicly questioned Motsamai’s integrity. According to the letter of demand, the statements above and the contents of the NACLPMWU’s founding affidavit are injurious, malicious, and defamatory. According to the letter of demand, Motsamai’s attorneys note that he voluntarily relinquished the Presidency of BOPEU in 2017. Further, they note in the letter of demand that the investigations surrounding Motsamai’s tenure concerned the various companies that were engaged by BOPEU’s commercial arm. The investigations, according to the letter, were concluded by the Botswana Police, and on the 19th of August 2022, the Police completed their investigations. “Our client was never a subject of an investigation as it appears in the police report addressed to BOPEU. It is therefore inaccurate and misleading for your client (Motshwarakgole) to suggest that our client has unresolved allegations of financial impropriety,” Motsamai’s attorneys write. Motsamai’s attorneys further state that their client is a fit and proper person who has been successfully vetted for the current position of Secretary of the PSBC. According to the letter of demand, Motsamai holds Motshwarakgole in high regard and expects mutual respect and collegiality from Motshwarakgole. It further states that the seemingly coordinated campaign to discredit and character assassinate Motsamai for the decision taken by the Employer party and the union party is unjustifiable. On the basis of the foregoing, Motsamai has instructed his attorneys to demand that Motshwarakgole retract the injurious, malicious, and defamatory remarks made about him in the founding affidavit and at the press conference by 1600 hours on Thursday, 5 February 2026. “Should your client ignore our demand and/or refuse to publicly retract the injurious statements, we hold instructions to place the client's affidavit before Justice Lekorwe and clarify the matter at court to avoid the distortion of facts by your client,” Motsamai’s attorney submitted. In response however, Motshwarakgole’s attorneys wrote that at the outset, the timeline imposed was wholly unreasonable, particularly given that Motsamai became aware of the contents complained of on 1 February 2026, when he was personally served with the founding affidavit. “The averments contained in the founding affidavit filed under Case Number UA/HGB-0000039/26 were made in the context of ongoing judicial proceedings, pursuant to our Client's constitutional right and duty to place material and relevant facts before the Honourable Court; and without malice, recklessness, or intent to defame,” replies Motshwarakgole’s attorneys. Accordingly, they note that the demand that the founding affidavit be "expunged" or retracted is misconceived, legally untenable, and without merit. In respect of the press conference held on 2 February 2026, Motshwarakgole confirms that he expressed concerns relating to matters already in the public domain. He adds that such statements were made in good faith, in the public interest, and without making any false factual assertions concerning Motsamai. Consequently, Motshwarakgole refused to retract his statements.

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Motsamai, Motshwarakgole Face-Off

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