BMWU suspends members

Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Friday December 4, 2015 11:23

Nine BMWU members were last week slapped with suspension letters pending disciplinary hearing.

The members who took the union to court include Marius Kruger, Granny Kanyeto, Boikego Langwane and Baphuthi Goshetwang.  The suspended members took the union to court seeking to interdict their new committee from executing its mandate because they feared it might misuse union funds.

The letter, written by the union general secretary, states that: “You are hereby suspended with immediate effect from all activities and involvement with the Botswana Mine and Allied Workers Union pending investigations into an array of alleged acts of misconduct by yourself.”

The letter further requires the members who are also in positions of different union branches to handover union property, for example, records which are in their possession.

It points out that the suspended members should avail themselves for a disciplinary hearing at a date to be communicated to them as soon as the investigations are complete.

“You are further denied access to the union or any branch offices during your suspension and banned from representing the union or its members in any form unless summoned or instructed by the general secretary,” the letter states. Meanwhile the BMWU general secretary, Mbiganyi Ramokate, confirmed the suspensions.  Ramokate however indicated that: “It is not true that the issue regarding suspension of certain members would be discussed at our special council on Saturday at Palapye.

I cannot comment on why the members are being suspended because we are still investigating the matter. The special council is simply going to discuss issues that were left hanging at the congress that was held recently”. He said some of the issues that would be discussed include the employment of a financial accountant, constitution amendment, amongst others.