Intervarsity games interruption lands UB in P500 000 lawsuit
Sharon Mathala | Monday April 20, 2015 17:22
The company was engaged to organise the just ended controversy-ridden games. The University management that have refused to recognise the recently elected School Representative Council (SRC) has refused to pay the company forcing the UB-SRC to tell the company to “seek other means” to resolve the matter.
In a letter dated March 23, 2015, the SRC informed the company that the management has taken a position not to pay the agreed amount.
“I regret to inform you that contrary to our agreement between ourselves, the then acting Deputy Vice Chancellor Student Affairs and your company on the 13 March 2015, after our protracted negotiation, the Deputy Vice Chancellor Student Affairs has unilaterally undermined the agreement entered into by the then acting Deputy Vice chancellor academic affairs who was acting on her absence to engage your services of the agreed P 407 366.40,” reads the letter to Bins For Kings.
The SRC letter goes on to say “…it is surprising that the University management which was represented by the then acting deputy vice chancellor of student affairs may query and unilaterally dictate that they will not pay the agreed amount of money.
This is arbitrary and unilateral in our view. We are aware of the inconvenience that this shall result on your company and we advice that you may expeditiously act to avoid further loss and inconvenience”.
The company lawyer, Eddie Babuseng on Friday served the university UB management notice to pay the money within seven days. Bins For Kings director, Bruce Nkgakile told The Monitor that they are hopeful that the matter would not end in court because the management is aware that they should pay them as they delivered their end of the deal.
“We served the university management with papers from our lawyers Friday morning. We played our part and they should pay us.
We also engaged other service providers who also need to be paid,” he said. “We do not want to be involved in their politics,” Nkgakile added.
A source told The Monitor that other local artist who had performed at the weeklong Intervarsity games has also not been paid.
“All the international acts have been paid, because they are paid up front, but for some local artist it is a different story. They are still waiting for the other deposit,” said the insider. Efforts to get a comment from the UB public relations office were unsuccessful.
The Intervarsity game is an annual event which universities of Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland alternate to host.
This year’s games, which were marred by controversy leading to their sudden cancelation on the last day, were hosted by University of Botswana.