Justice Vergeer resigns, joins Collins Newman

Oarabile Mosikare | Tuesday February 21, 2017 14:51

Although the Industrial Court is tight-lipped on Vergeer’s resignation, sources said he will rejoin Collins Newman and Company as a partner.

He parted ways with the company seven years ago after the monumental public service strike to join the Industrial Court bench.

Vergeer was one of the lawyers acting for Government during the strike in 2011.

“I’m told Vergeer was made an offer he couldn’t refuse by Parks Tafa of Collins Newman and Company.

He is serving a one month notice,” a source said.

Vergeer is an experienced lawyer. A fellow lawyer described him as “a teacher of law. Very knowledgeable in law and unassuming.

He taught law even in court. He is a hard worker of note in whom the Industrial Court has lost greatly.

I have always thought his natural next move will be the High Court bench and on a few occasions I have urged him to go that route. It remains my hope that one day he will ascend”.

He continued pointing out that “Vergeer the lawyer is no different from Vergeer the Judge. They are both humble.

As a lawyer, he is never triumphalist and addresses his colleagues with amazing respect, irrespective of age”.

Before he joined the bench, he was the head of the civil and commercial litigation department at Collins Newman and Company.

“Virgil is one of the leading litigation lawyers in Botswana with a wide-range of corporate clientele.

These include mining houses, banks and financial institutions, state-owned enterprises/parastatal organisations, multi-national retailers and hotels chain groups,” the Collins Newman and Company website stated at the time.

The Industrial Court public relations officer Tshepo Mokaedi pleaded ignorance of the Judge’s resignation.

“The Industrial Court of Botswana is not in any position to comment on the matter as the department is not aware of the alleged resignation of the above mentioned Judge,” Mokaedi said. Efforts to reach Tafa were futile, as he did not answer his phone. A secretary at his law firm said he was busy in meetings.