BOSETU labels education minister ‘an accomplice to corruption’
Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Monday March 18, 2024 06:00
This follows the minister’s response to the union regarding the issue between the Botswana International University of Science & Technology (BIUST) and the fired whistleblower, Dr Malatsi Galani. The union has been embroiled in a battle with BIUST after the latter fired Dr Galani in January following a lengthy disciplinary hearing.
The union argues that Dr Galani was targeted after filling a case of corruption and abuse of office against the BIUST Vice Chancellor, Professor Otlogetswe Totolo. Following his dismissal, BOSETU had escalated the matter to the office of minister Letsholathebe seeking his intervention and requesting that he finds out what happened and share the report of the alleged investigation of Totolo. However, Dr Letsholathebe this week absolved himself from intervening in the matter saying the aggrieved person could seek recourse from other structures such as Commissioner of Labour and courts of law.
The minister also said in his observation, the disciplinary matter of BIUST fall within the Vice Chancellor of BIUST as per Section 8(2) of the BIUST Act. “I am therefore, for the reasons advanced above, not able to intervene and reinstate Dr Galani back to work as requested by yourselves,” stated the minister in a letter responding to the union. However, the union says it is disappointed by the minister’s response. A representative of BOSETU said the minister has rather found an easy escape route that the employee should approach the labour department or the courts.
The union said when they met the Letsholathebe and his then Permanent Secretary on January 30, the minister sounded as if he understood the issue at hand. “At the said meeting, Dr. Letsholathebe sounded as though he understood our issue and he said he will convene the BIUST Council to hear them regarding what could have happened. One issue that we specifically raised with him was that this is a matter that involves someone who was raising a red flag about allegations of corruption and provided some documentation as evidence, instead of the institution investigating the allegations that involved Professor Totolo, the Vice Chancellor of the University, it rather turned on the whistle blower, and dismissed him,” said BOSETU secretary-general, Tobokani Rari.
“We indicated to the minister that the institution claims to have investigated Professor Totolo but they have refused to give us the report of his investigation. We wanted the minister to at least find out and assist with the report. In his response the minister does not even deal with that point, he rather finds an easy escape route that the employee should approach the labour department or the courts,” he added. Rari said when they escalated the matter to the minister, they already knew all these routes but were of the view that Letsholathebe could intervene to avoid such matters reaching the courts. “We must make it known that we were very much disappointed by the minister’s response. In fact, this response shows us that Minister Letsholathebe is spineless and he lacks authority and independence of mind. “He cannot make his own independent decisions,” he said.
According to Rari, this is not the first time that Letsholathebe has done this, saying, "the minister buried his head in the sand when they wanted him to intervene in the impasse between Botswana Examinations Council (BEC) and the unions until the impasse culminated in an examination crisis resulting in some students not having coursework grades." “In fact, Minister Letsholathebe has demonstrated that he is an accomplice to corruption. He cannot stand to be counted to show his disdain for corrupt tendencies and practices. He has no moral turpitude to claim that he abhors corruption while he left an opportunity to investigate allegations of corruption to pass by in an institution within his ambit,” Rari said. Defending his decision not to intervene in the matter, Letsholathebe said he is bound to abide the law regardless of the circumstances.
"The law is clear as to what i should do and not do. For now I have told them that the Act does not allow me to intervene in the manner they envisaged. We should always let the law take its course regardless of how painful the situation can be, we should just follow the law. For them to call me coward and spineless minister, its ok, its their opinion but ill not be a starring by trampling on the law. We are engaging and we will engage further to find a solution without trampling the university law," he said.