Parly meets over BCL crisis
Onalenna Kelebeile | Friday October 14, 2016 18:25
The opposition leaders indicated during a press conference they addressed yesterday that they are confident with the support of other MPs, they can enforce other alternatives instead of liquidation of BCL Mine.
Botswana National Front president, Duma Boko said they are going to push for the special Parliament meeting to discuss the BCL situation. He said that Parliament is the only platform where they can challenge the decision to grant the liquidator immense powers some of which may not be good for the employees and by extension, the town.
Boko added that if this issue cannot go to Parliament it is going to be difficult to address because all the powers of the shareholders, management and the board have been vested on the liquidator alone.
He said it is irresponsible of government not to have had a reserve plan for the period when commodity prices dropped.
“When you create debts you should have a plan on how to deal with them. Only an irresponsible and shallow thinker would resort to liquidation. It is not true that the decision to liquidate BCL was done last Friday and there are no convincing reasons why the mine should close down when there is money as evidenced by splashy spending that has been ongoing,” he said.
He challenged President Ian Khama to address employees on their fate. Botswana Congress Party president, Dumelang Saleshando said that they suspect that the closure of BCL Mine is a grand plan designed to benefit someone.
He said that everything must be done in a transparent manner because they do not trust the government of the day.
“We are going to demand that the report by the ministerial task team that was appointed by the President to assess the situation at the BCL Mine be made public. We do not want a situation where the liquidation of BCL Mine benefits and enriches some people. We strongly suspect that it is plan by some people to find a way of owning government assets,” he said.
Saleshando said that there is no way BCL could close down without the knowledge of Parliament and said that they can only be convinced of such if it passes through members of the House, Business Botswana and trade unions.
He said what surprises him on the BCL liquidation matter is that even cabinet ministers have diverging statements on the payment of the employees.
He added that currently government does not have a plan in place to save the town of Selebi-Phikwe and feared that the situation is the beginning of turning Botswana into a ghost country. He said if the current BCL situation is ignored then the same is likely to happen with other mines. “We want the mine to continue running while alternative measures to save the town and preserve jobs are put in place.
We are taking a long term view as the opposition because we do not want to find ruins by the time we assume power,” he added. Saleshando noted that the BCL situation should not have come as an emergency because it is a self-created crisis, a manmade disaster and a planned panic mode.
“Government must have considered that the decision to liquidate BCL would not only affect the economy of Selebi-Phikwe, but also that of the nation at large,” he said.
For his part Botswana Movement for Democracy president, Ndaba Gaolathe said what kills the economy is that people are appointed in positions not on merit but on favouritism and said no country has ever became prosperous under such circumstances.
He said commodity prices are not to blame because their fluctuation is a common trend in the mineral industry.
He added that between 1989 and 2001 commodity prices dropped below current prices, but said between 2006 and 2007 the prices reached $24 and that is when reserves could have been set aside for eventualities. He called on the nation to ensure that the right people are appointed in the right positions.
He said if a company liquidates because it is in debt it preserves its own interests and dismissed reports that the move for government was a calculated one to avert creditors to apply for compulsory liquidation.
“Creditors like Norilsk are also likely to challenge government’s decision and impose creditors liquidation and that would seriously affect employees. The fact that employees were also diverted to pensions may also disadvantage them. I therefore call upon your trade unions to fight on this one,” he said. Also at the press conference were Botswana Peoples Party president, Motlatsi Molapisi and Botswana Mine Workers Union president, Jack Tlhagale.