Six ex-miners commit suicide
Innocent Selatlhwa | Friday December 2, 2016 16:16
Molambane said the closure, which came at a time they were promised cash injection, has had adverse impact on the lives of the ex-miners, their families and indeed many businesses. “We will be laying to rest the sixth person who committed suicide over the weekend. This situation is very bad. We need to meet with the President to present our issues to him,” he said. Molambane said the former miners were never given proper counselling and instead they continue to get shocking news.
“They just broke the news and promised to psy us for 18 months and keep us housed. What is happening now is? We were given termination letters, utilities are disconnected from houses, people are not given housing allowances, and now people are going to have their terminal benefits exhausted by bank loans and other debts,” he said. Molambane said even though they have been told that they cannot summon the President to meet them, they will not rest until they have met him. He said it was sad that the authorities abandoned them and only to hear issues relating to BCL employees on television. Molambane said the situation was very tough, as it would not only affect the BCL.
“It is more than just about BCL employees. There are also businesses in Selebi-Phikwe to be affected, Water Utilities Corporation got P11 million from BCL monthly, Botswana Power Corporation got P18 million and Morupule Colliery got P8 million, now they are also billed to retrench,” he said.
The now unemployed electrician said government should have injected P1 billion that was required as there was proof that commodity prices will improve in no time.