BCM, lecturers smoke peace pipe
Lebogang Mosikare | Tuesday September 4, 2018 12:56
Recently, nine lecturers under the employ of BCM at the Francistown College of Technical and Vocational (FCTVE) took the chief executive officer (CEO) of BCM Charles Siwawa and the chairperson of the BCM board of directors, David Kgoboko, to court praying to imprison the duo for being in contempt of court.
BCM, Siwawa and Kgoboko, who is also the general manager of Morupule Coal Mine, are listed as the first, second and third respondents respectively in the case.
The lecturers wanted Siwawa and Kgoboko to be imprisoned because the duo had not followed a court order that was issued by Justice Solomon on August 13.
The consent order had directed BCM to pay the lecturers close to P2 million (P1,828,704,69 to be exact) as salary arrears.
But on Monday, attorneys Mbiganyi Mhizha and Malike Mmohe, representing the lecturers and BCM respectively, told the court that they are of the view that the matter can be settled amicably without taking any drastic measures to compel BCM to pay the lecturers their dues.
“We are of the view that this matter can be settled in the best interest of the parties concerned without taking drastic routes. This impasse happened because we did not meet before appearing before court. We are not disputing that we owe the applicants,” said Mmohe, who was reiterating what Mhizha had earlier on told the court.
After the parties agreed that the matter should be briefly adjourned in order to discuss it outside court, Justice Solomon set the matter for October 3 when it is expected that BCM would perform its end of the contract.