Near Fight Aborts BOPEU Meeting
Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Monday June 24, 2019 12:24
The meeting, which was held on Saturday at BOPEU boardroom in Gaborone, was aborted after some members of the NEC who support the purportedly suspended union president, Masego Mogwera stopped the acting president Olefile Monakwe from chairing proceedings.
Agenda items for the day were as follow: presentation and discussion of the forensic report, presentation by commission of enquiry, administrative report, regional and financial reports, elections appeal, appointment of the disciplinary hearing commission and appointment of the acting general secretary.
However, authoritative sources close to the developments said the meeting could not get underway to discuss any of the items as some NEC members questioned Monakwe’s authority and legitimacy to chair the meeting.
On the other hand, Mogwera’s followers were of the view that since the court has ruled that the April 27 meeting, which resolved to suspend her from the BOPEU presidency and ultimately purported to fire her from the union’s investment wing Babereki Investments as chairperson was not a meeting of BOPEU NEC, she is the only rightful person to chair the NEC meeting unless if she had delegated any member to act on her behalf.
But Monakwe’s supporters argued that Mogwera is serving suspension.
Therefore, Monakwe as the first deputy president was duly appointed to act as the president, which gives him the authority to chair the NEC meeting.
is said that debate on the matter lasted over two hours with the factional wars once again at play and warring factions having a go at each other. Sources said the debates were so tense and heated that one of Monakwe’s faction members (name withheld) stood up and threatened to rain blows on BOPEU central regional chairperson, Bicky Mojela, who at the time was leading the chorus against Monakwe’s legitimacy to chair the meeting.
“He was of the view that Mojela attacked Monakwe and he stood and threatened to beat him. Monakwe is the one who talked to the two NEC members to calm down and asked him (the charging one) to return to his seat. It was so heated, and Monakwe decided to disperse the meeting,” a source said.
Mojela confirmed that indeed the Saturday meeting was very intense and heated. He said he was amongst those who questioned Monakwe’s authority to chair the NEC meeting, something that did not go down well with other members of the committee.
However, Monakwe denied that the meeting ended in a near fist encounter between members but confirmed that it was dispersed without progress with regard to the agenda.
“The meeting could not continue but was aborted after two hours because there was debate over Mogwera’s suspension and other court issues,” said Monakwe when contacted for comment.
“Others were of the view that the meeting is not proper while some said we should continue with business because Mogwera was rightfully suspended, so we agreed to adjourn. It did not go to that extent of members engaging in any physical confrontations.”
This near-blows meeting came just two days ahead of the ruling by Court of Appeal (CoA) Justice Isaac Lesetedi on Monakwe’s application to stay the High Court judgement restoring Mogwera as chairperson of Babereki Investments.