Mogokgwane exits civil service ireful
Ryder Gabathuse | Monday September 22, 2025 08:47
He exited the only job that he had served for nearly four decades with a bitter taste in his mouth, considering the way he was treated.
As if the pain associated with failed job grading that carried further remuneration was not enough, glaucoma that was first diagnosed in 2012 has now taken its toll on his health. It has eaten on his sight, his sight leaving him diametrically confined to the use of a walking stick like a stylish pantsula fella.
Although his career has not recompensed him amply as he had coveted, he is, however, gratified that in the 37 years he had expended in the Immigration black and white uniform, he had served his country with diligence and aplomb. His service journey started off in Gaborone and took him around the country, Kazungula Ferry, back to Gaborone, Parr’s Halt, Tutume, Makopong, Kanye, Pioneer Gate, Martin’s Drift, Bobonong and finally in Serowe, where he hung up his duty boots. His work shirt was decorated with two golden stars, which denoted that he was a principal immigration officer. He called the shots, but with a bleeding heart due to stagnation.
It was in 2012, whilst in Makopong, Kgalagadi, that he discerned vicissitudes in his sight.
“I noticed trails to my vision in 2012 at Makopong when I tried to clear my incessantly itching eyes. With one eye closed, I would immediately realise that my right eye couldn’t see at all,” explained the visibly worried former principal immigration officer.
When he consulted a private optician in Serowe, his home village, the worst was proclaimed to him that he had an advanced case of glaucoma. He would further consult an optician at Sekgoma Hospital in Serowe, who corroborated the diagnosis. As he exited the public service at the end of July this year, Mogokgwane’s vision was estimated at an all-time low of about 10 %. He departed, literally struggling to see. Just last year, an Ophthalmologist at the Sekgoma Hospital issued him a disability certificate of exemption as he struggled to perform his daily chores at work as a principal immigration officer. This was the last blow to the glimmer of hope that he had clung to. At 60 years, Mogokgwane’s failing vision has reduced him to what he refers to in the vernacular as “monnamogolo (old man)” as he uses a walking stick to support him. Despite all these challenges he is facing, he is not about to give up the fight for his survival.
As a way of combating the emerging peril of glaucoma, Mogokgwane religiously took medication; unfortunately, his condition accelerated to its current downward trajectory.
“I am almost blind,” the frustrated pensioner told Mmegi. “I hardly see a lot of objects along my path.” A simple definition of glaucoma is a group of eye diseases of the optic nerve. Journals explain that the optic nerve transmits visual information from the eye to the brain.
Now, walking with the aid of a stick, Mogokgwane has done everything possible to fight for his failing vision both locally and in neighbouring South Africa, and his vision is diminishing by the day.
The worst to hit him was the drama that he experienced a few years before his exit from the public service after 37 years of continuous service.
He contends that he wasn’t rewarded accordingly despite all his labouring of conveying the matter to his superiors, who instead turned a blind eye to his pleas. His struggle with his superiors began the moment he demanded to be back paid according to a government circular savingram emanating from the office of the director, Directorate of Public Service Management (DPSM) of 16th May, 2022, authored after a court order on multiple tilting and grading of C-band positions.
The DPSM directive No.10 of 2001, dated 18/06/2001, was issued to reduce the period of progression from one grade to another from three years to two years. Mogokgwane contends that the employer was able to correct queries raised by some of his colleagues, whilst he was snubbed.
He has had several letter exchanges (seen by Mmegi) with his employer in an endeavour to correct his grading issues to no avail, until he exited his service; nothing was done. To him, this has left him with a bitter taste in his mouth.
“I watched our employer appropriately reward some of my peers to the extent that some of them were even promoted to superior scales, whilst I stagnated just like that. It was really painful to say the least,” decried Mogokgwane.
Whilst he was informed that he did not qualify for a promotion to a superior D-scale, he hoped that the least the employer could have done was to at least pay him C-scale arrears paid to his peers.
He made every effort to write to his superiors, but they turned a deaf ear. All along, promotions at the workplace were a bit slow as they were informed there were no posts available.
“We took it that overtime progression would come. Yes, some of us were promoted who had similar qualifications to myself.” Mogokgwane was convinced that, at best, he could have progressed to the D4 scale, where some of his peers had progressed.
Mogokgwane was not promoted beyond the C1 scale but had deputised and headed some stations. To the best of his knowledge, he is not aware of anything that could have prevented him from rising beyond the C1 scale.
After all his experience at work, Mogokgwane feels hard done by, despite his loyalty and good performance. “I have been denied an opportunity despite the training I was accorded by the Immigration department. When I got stagnant just because of other people’s designs, it frustrated me a great deal as I knew what it would lead to.”
By being stagnant in the C1 scale, he contends it also robbed him of the exit benefits he so desired. He was denied the benefits of progression from C2 to C1 scale, which he says aggravates his position, as he was not even listened to. And ultimately, his possible progression to the D4 scale was irreparable harm.
Mogokgwane has done all that he could have done, hopping between the Immigration regional offices and the headquarters, but it could not bear fruit. His last attempt was a failed meeting with Labour Affairs deputy permanent secretary, Nelson Mogapi, who could not have a heart to hear his side of the story.
“Because he always claimed to be busy when I tried to set up appointments, when I was in Gaborone, he could not simply meet me, claiming that I had not properly arranged for an appointment, leaving me terribly heartbroken,” he told Mmegi.
Mogokgwane has promised to further pursue his case as he feels it was not given the attention it deserved.
As a way of fighting for what he believes belongs to him, last March, Mogokgwane wrote to his trade union, Botswana Public Employees Union (BOPEU), chronicling his grievances (letter seen by Mmegi) and to date, he is awaiting their action. Efforts to solicit a comment from the person acting on Mogokgwane’s grievances could not bear fruit at press time.
At the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs, chief public relations officer, Moreri Moesi, was insistent that they couldn’t comment on employer/employee relations in the media.
“We are simply hamstrung to comment in the media on an issue of that nature even if we could,” insisted Moesi.