BOSETU at loggerheads with BIUST

Larona Makhaiza | Monday March 6, 2023 06:00

Rari (middle) feels that there is a lot of rot going on at universities more especially BIUST and the University of Botswana PIC: KENNEDY RAMOKONE

As it is now turning into a trend to see BOSETU at loggerheads with many entities regarding allegations of ill treatment or maladministration of its members, the union has now taken on BIUST as it feels that the university had no reason to suspend the steward.

Speaking at a media briefing on Wednesday this week at the BOSETU House, secretary-general (SG) Tobokani Rari bemoaned the state of labour relations and allegations of maladministration at BIUST. “The BIUST leadership has not changed its mindset like the Reset Agenda says and our people at BIUST are experiencing abuse, intimidation and they are being excluded in everything they do as the university does not want to include unions in everything,” declared the worried SG.

Rari pointed out to those who might be wondering what is it that BOSETU has got to do with BIUST as an entity of its own, he highlighted that BOSETU has now included all institutions whether they are private or government as long as these institutions offer education.

Rari added that they started organising at BIUST and they met the threshold hence the existence of a branch at BIUST where their shop steward oversees the university. However, the shop steward is now suspended. “Our shop steward whose mandate is to represent employees and bargain on behalf of them as he has a role to be in the Council has been suspended and we believe he was suspended because of his activism,” Rari stated.

Reminiscing on how the suspension of the steward came about, he revealed that he was given a letter that gave him an order stating that he should show cause why disciplinary measures should not be taken against him. Rari said what really baffled them is seeing that the issue that the steward was being threatened on dates back to 2020.

“While we still had the letter that asked the steward to show course why disciplinary measures should not be taken against him, he then received another letter from the university in mid-January and this was a suspension letter. The letter did not really state what he was suspended for,” he revealed.

In their efforts to mitigate the whole debacle of their steward being suspended, Rari said they tried liaising with BIUST but their efforts were in vain. “We wrote to the university asking for a meeting regarding the suspension and the university refused flatly. We then went to see the Minister of Education and pleaded with him to appeal to them and the Minister then called the Vice Chancellor (VC) who then said we should write to him and we did exactly that but he still refused once more. Mind you, this is for the second time he refuses,” added Rari.

Due to lack of transparency between the university and BOSETU, Rari feels that there is a lot of rot going on at universities more especially BIUST and the University of Botswana (UB). On allegations raised by their members on the ground, Rari stated that they have received concerns that the Vice Chancellor is allegedly abusing his powers.

“The VC is abusing his powers, it is said he got a contract while his current contract is still running and that means when the contract expires and it is not renewed, he can be a lecturer,” he stated. Moreover, it is alleged that the VC owns three institutional houses and BOSETU feels that, "this is just corruption on its own as one person cannot own three houses". BOSETU wants all the allegations to be investigated claiming that when the employees try to raise such matters, they are intimidated and suspended just like their steward.