Lawyers advice against Dow�s bill
Friday, April 08, 2016
Last year Botswana Sectors for Educators Trade Union (BOSETU) and Botswana Teachers’ Union (BTU) engaged Sefelani Thapelo and Mboki Chilisa to advise on the draft Botswana Examinations Council Amendment Bill of 2015. The duo advised that the purpose of the amendment is to take away the teachers’ ability to negotiate payment for the invigilation work, and to compel them to do the same without any additional payment.
The invigilation battle has been around for a while. In 2009, a dispute arose concerning whether the invigilation and supervision of external senior secondary school examinations fell within the scope and ambit of a teacher’s duties. The matter went to court, and in the case of BOSETU vs Opelo Makhandlela case number MAHFT-000013-09, Justice Mpaphi Phumaphi found in favour of the union. Thapelo had scored this important victory for BOSETU before Phumaphi.
Their concerns highlight the need for meaningful dialogue between government and relevant stakeholders to ensure the best interests of the country are served.This was in addition to other voices from opposition politicians and civil society organisations.The stance underscores the importance of citizen participation in the constitutional amendment process. The AFM rightly assert that such weighty matters demand thorough discussions to reflect the...