With almost a year left before the 2024 general elections, political parties are busy preparing themselves and in the process designing poster cards bearing faces of their lead or champion campaigners.

The merry-go-round is never ending in the dispute between Joseph Pilane and family. Of late, the Chinese contractor implicated in the case, Huashi Li and President Mokgweetsi Masisi’s sisters, Phadi Mmutle Masisi and Tshidi Masisi Hlanze have denied any links to the President’s nephew, Pilane.

A legal battle between Interlink Communications (Proprietary) Limited and the newly built Fields Mall over the much anticipated technology show schedules for the 22^nd of this month has begun.

Davies Tamali , the owner of Interlink Communication has filed papers before High Court Judge Dr Godfrey Radijeng  where he seek an urgent interdiction of the Gaborone Consumer Electronics & Technology (GCET) show pending the final determination of the ownership of intellectual property rights over the event and damages based on misappropriation of intellectual property rights.

According to Tamali, GCET is the brainchild which was originally called “Tech Expo Botswana” as he ideated, conceptualised, organised and delivered the event details on behalf of Interlink Communications to the management of the fields Mall.

His papers further insist that the concept was introduced to the respondents through a proposal document sent by emails and Whatsapp on Monday the 8^th of May 2023 as a request for venue usage and pricing.

According to Tamali, the respondents unlawfully and maliciously got hold of his proposal, took it unbeknown to him and presented themselves to the public, world at large to be the owners and original creators of the event.

“It is worth noting that the fields mall was actually the second venue center to be approached by the Applicants to host the event, with the first being Fairgrounds Holdings. The fact that the event can be hosted by other venues is a clear indication that the applicant is the owner of the event.”

Tamali pled with court to treat the application with urgency because by the time the action proceedings are heard in the ordinary course, the respondents would have finished planning his event and sharing his ideas even with other parties.

“On the basis of the conduct of the respondent, the matter is so urgent it cannot proceed in accordance with the normal Court processes given the times, as to so do will defeat the very purpose which is to preserve the status quo and to ensure that my rights are protected through a judicial process.”

CASE BACKGROUND

According to Tamali, the issue began after Davies had received the quotation costing from Fairgrounds Mall, which in essence he thought were beyond his pricing budget.

“This led to a request for quotation phone call on or about 7 May 2023 between the Tamali and Ayanda an employee of the fields who works under the supervision of the Nazly Dawood.”

Davies advised Ayanda that he was looking for a suitable venue to host a technology expo to be called “Tech Expo Botswana” which led to Ayanda asking what the expo was about. Following which Ayanda then advised that she would speak to her boss, Nazly about the event.

Tamali reveals that on the 8^th May 2023, he followed up with Ayanda and she advised that she had not yet managed to speak to her boss.

He says that on the 15^th of May 2023, he made another follow up and he was advised that Nazly wanted more details about the event so that she would be better placed to make a determination and final decision thereafter.

According to court papers, on the 17^th of May 2023, Tamali followed up again and Ayanda advised that she had not yet managed to speak to her boss since last update, however she asked Tamali to call her later and when he called she advised that Nazly had asked for a detailed proposal so they can determine how to assist.

“It is common cause that on 17 May 2023 following the phone call with Ayanda, Tamali  submitted a written proposal via email to the following email addresses; info@thefields.co.bw and nazla@thefields.co.bw using a link to Ayanda and Nazly requesting a quotation to use the Fields Mall as a venue for Tech Expo Botswana”

It is further revealed that on the 19^th of May 2023, Tamali followed up with Ayanda and the Nazly.  He was told that they were still discussing the issue hence they would get back to him.

“On 23 May 2023, Tamali sent a copy of the information pack to Ayanda on whatsapp. He then followed up with a phone call, upon which he was dismayed to hear Ayanda stated that they were also hosting a similar event called “Gaborone Consumer Electronics & Technology Show 2023” so they could not host his event.”

According to Ayanda, the started organizing the same event in May during the Gaborone Motor show.

“On or about 22 or 23 May 2023, I received a call from an individual who identified himself as Christian (The first respondent), who I now know to be the forefront of the current impeding GCET. He called me under the false pretense of being under the employ of fairgrounds holdings requesting information of how much I had paid for the fairgrounds venue”. Wrote Tamali.

He says that he advised him that the venue has not being paid yet, Christian then proceeded to ask why he advertised for an event that he has not yet paid for.

“I then explained to Christian that I had mentioned to his colleague Kesego that I would be advertising the event so that I get a general feel of how receptive the community was to such an event. I then asked Christian if he had spoken to Kesego, I must note that his demenour changed as he showed that he did not know Kesego at all. At that point I realised that Christian was not under the employ of Fairgrounds holding.”

Tamali reveals that after the phone call, he google searched and found that there was a show titled GCET Show 2023, and discovered that it was advertised on facebook using the date and his venue.