Four battle it out for BONU presidency
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Monday June 13, 2022 06:00
The presidential aspirants are Tebogo Tshenyego, Peter Baleseng, Unangoni Modo and Seabelo Chigagane. The BONU congress will be held in Francistown under the theme: ‘BONU resilience against COVID-19, nurses’ welfare a priority.
However, the outgoing BONU president Obonolo Rahube will not be defending his position. The BONU constitution allows a person to hold an office position for only two terms. Out of 13 positions that will be contested, five members from the outgoing CEC cannot contest again for elections because they have already served their two terms. Another key position that will be contested for is the secretary-general (SG) position and the contestants include outgoing SG Fondondo Phillip and Boitshepo Seakozi.
In an interview, one of the contestants Chigagane said: “If I am going to be voted into office, my main aim will be to advocate the welfare of nurses to be done per the Employment Act. For a long time, nurses have been regarded as essential service workers but practically that is not the case on the ground. Someone cannot be an essential worker if the employer is failing to provide accommodation for them. For example, Princess Marina hospital has over 500 nurses but only 100 of them are given accommodation while the majority are renting. Therefore, they use their money to pay rental yet they are not compensated for that.” Chigagane explained that there is need for a scheme of service to be looked into. He said there is no progression for nurses even if they are specialising in their field unlike doctors. "The majority of them are stuck on the ‘C’ scale".
Another contestant Baleseng said; “It is time for nurses’ job description to be well defined since they are given any job in the clinics and hospitals. Nurses are trained for different things therefore they should specialise just like doctors. Also they should be compensated for the extra job they do if it is not in line with their job description. This is one of the issues we will be negotiating with the employer. Another issue is the abuse that nurses are encountering in their work. It is high time the employer compensates nurses for that.
There is no security in both hospitals and clinics hence nurses are being beaten and raped by some patients.” For his part, Tshenyego said he would advocate the appropriate training for lecturers and nurses, recognition of nurses in the private sector and how they can benefit from the union. He added that he would also advocate nurses' empowerment by enabling them to do private practice and venture into different businesses. Still, on the issue, Modo said his vision is for the union to be characterised by good governance.
Tshenyego also indicated that there should be fertile ground for BONU growth, excellence and success in its administration, and its labour professional pursuits. “I will engage the Ministry on continuity in outstanding labour and professional issues, review of nurses’ structure, progression to F scale, recognition and remuneration of nurse specialties, rights of nurses in the private sector to unionise, task shifting and task sharing recognition, allowance and the review of nurses and the Midwifery Act,” he said.