Costly KDC quad bikes lying idle
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Friday February 2, 2018 17:36
The employees rejected bikes contending that they were not consulted and that no formal training was done to operate the bikes.
The quad bikes were bought for social workers, bye-law and community development officers to use them when they go for assessment for poverty eradication, youth development fund projects, amongst others.
Mmegi is reliably informed that the council bought 11 quadbikes at a cost of over P361,732.
KDC chairperson, Jeffery Sibisibi said they are worried that money has gone to waste because if the quad bikes were not going to be used then they would be sold cheaply.
“KDC officers could have advised the council about the resolution because the issue was debated and agreed by full council meeting. The issue would be discussed in our next council meeting on way forward.
“It is true the quad bikes are at council depots. The Council secretary and the legal advisor will brief councillors on how best we can deal with the matter,” Sibisibi.
Kweneng Council secretary, Goleba Kgari told Mmegi in an interview that, “our intention is to use them as council, but we have to meet all the demands that Botswana Land Boards Local Authorities Health Workers Union (BLLAHWU) talked about on their letter like issues of safety.
Last year we tried to find someone to train our employees on how to use them, but we did not find anyone. We will try to advertise through newspapers in order to find someone in the private sector to help train our employees”.
He said the process is not going to be quick, but they will try their best. Justifying the purchase, Kgari said quad bike maintenance is reasonable than vehicles.
The bikes were purchased against the advice of the union. BLLAHWU Molepolole Branch chairperson, Kudzani David said in their consultations, the social workers, bye-law and community development officers who are meant to use the new bikes had made it clear that they were against the move.
The union had registered a complaint with the management of KDC over the council’s intention to have employees use the quad bikes on duty.
In a letter he wrote to the council secretary, David said they understood the procurement of such bikes is almost complete while they have not been engaged as employee representatives in the workplace despite amending members’ conditions of service outside a bargaining structure.
“We have a reason to worry as a legally recognised trade union in the workplace as the latest developments are a clear indication that your management disregards the labour laws and the recent occupational health and safety policy adopted by the Kweneng District Council, which was intended to reduce workplace accidents, risks and setting a safe working environment,” he wrote.
BLLAHWU said the bikes would expose members to severe weather conditions or at worst, fatal accidents.
“You will recall that the use of bikes was previously stopped across the public sector especially in the Ministry of Agriculture after they were found to be causing fatal accidents at an alarming rate,” he said.