BOPEU want BOFEPUSU out
Lebogang Mosikare | Tuesday April 11, 2017 16:50
BOPEU wants the court to halt the convening of talks at the PSBC and wants BOFEPUSU to be suspended from the PSBC for failure to comply with the PSBC requirement that members should submit audited membership figures and to pay financial subscriptions.
The other respondents in the matter are Attorney General (AG), Trainers and Allied Workers Union, Botswana Government Workers Union, Botswana Nurses Union, The PSBC, Botswana Landboards and Local Authorities Workers Union, Botswana Sectors of Educators Union, Botswana Teachers Union and the Chairperson of the PSBC respectively.
BOPEU’s attorney Martin Dingake made an application before Justice Bengbame Sechele asking for the case to be postponed in order to enable him to file his answering affidavit because the respondents had served very late.
Dingake said postponing the matter would enable him to respond to the sixth to 10 respondents. The AG’s attorney Ndiye Balule said he was not opposed to the application made by the applicant while counsel Kgosietsile Ngakaagae representing some of the respondents also did not oppose the application. However, the attorney for the sixth to the tenth respondent, Mboki Chilisa, vehemently opposed the application made by BOPEU.
He said it would be a travesty of justice if the court were to rule in BOPEU’s favour.
He said the urgent court application was made on Sunday.
Chilisa said they could not be told that the applicant wants the matter to be postponed since they were served with papers late.
It is very unfair for the applicant to seek the matter to be postponed particularly for the fact that the applicant’s attorney is based in Gaborone…We are also of the view that the matter should be postponed and be ventilated in the afternoon today,” Chilisa said.
In response, Dingake said postponing the matter would allow the court to have full set of papers and not deal with the matter on a piece-meal-approach.
In his ruling, Sechele said the matter was set for 9 am today to make a proper determination of all issues that have been brought before the court. “The matter would be heard tomorrow [Tuesday] at 9 am. The costs of this matter will be dealt with at the end of the matter,” Sechele told a packed public gallery.