Incensed ex-BCL workers vow to boycott Khama�s visit
Chakalisa Dube | Friday February 2, 2018 13:01
They threatened to “liquidate” the BDP at the next general elections.
They vented their frustrations at a meeting with the Permanent Secretary to the President (PSP), Carter Morupisi at the town hall.
The employees even vowed to boycott President Khama’s farewell ceremony scheduled for today at Selebi-Phikwe stadium. Khama, who steps down on April 1, 2018, is currently on a nationwide tour to bid farewell to Batswana.
Morupisi was in town yesterday where he addressed former BCL employees. He was interrupted several times by the former Mine employees who felt that he was not giving them appropriate answers in relation to their concerns.
A hypothetical figure of around 400 people had attended the emotionally-charged gathering.
In fact, most of the former BCL employees warned that they would vote against the ruling party at the next general elections because it has severely failed to address their plight. The ex-employees said that Khama’s leadership takes them for granted.
Head Seponono who was the first to take to the podium even said that if it were his wish, Khama should vacate office with immediate effect.
“The Mine was not closed in a dignified manner. Since then, government authorities have kept on lying to us on issues surrounding the future of the Mine.
“If I had it my way, Khama would be leaving office today because he and his government have let us down. His government has humiliated us. It has not been compassionate. We have been turned into paupers. I will boycott his farewell meeting because my ultimate wish is to see him gone,” the furious father of three said.
He said that the main reason Khama has not met the former BCL employees and their union representatives is because he loathes trade unions and their associates.
Since BCL Mine was liquidated in October 2016, the former BCL employees have often said that Khama should come and address them to no avail.
Another former BCL employee, Lesedi Tawana also urged fellow ex-BCL employees to boycott Khama’s farewell.
“We wanted him (Khama) in this forum. We should not go to his farewell because it does not serve any purpose to us. We need to interact with him on serious issues,” he said.
Nature Ketshwereng said that Morupisi’s meeting is not of genuine intentions. He said that the PSP was sent by the President to gauge the mood of the former BCL workers ahead of tomorrow’s farewell.
“O tlile go tlhagolela tautona tsela. Your meeting is just an attempt to calm us ahead of Khama’s visit. It becomes much of a coincidence that your visit comes a day before the President’s farewell.”
In his address earlier, Morupisi had said that the President and other government officials have not been able to address the former employees owing to other government commitments.
To which Ketshwereng retorted: “What we want to know is when will the government pay us our full benefits. We do not want anything much from you. We are going to liquidate the ruling party at the next general elections”.
Although the government has often maintained that it has settled the benefits of the former BCL workers, ex-miners maintain the contrary.
Sylvia Khukhwane labelled Morupisi’s meeting a joke, “You have not brought anything with you. Next time bring serious people who will provide us with the information we need”.
Botswana Mine Workers Union (BMWU) general secretary, Moffat Ramokate also said Morupisi’s visit was an insult to the integrity of the former miners.
“We cannot have a situation where the government closes the Mine in 2016 and then addresses the workers in 2018. It does not show compassion,” he said, adding that the union executive will also boycott Khama’s farewell.
Morupisi completed the meeting before all the BCL employees who had raised their hands could speak. He added that he would take all the concerns raised by the ex-mine workers to the relevant authorities.
After the meeting, the former miners stormed out before Morupisi stood up to leave as per protocol. They did not even take part in the closing prayer. Over 4,000 employees lost their jobs at BCL Mine here when the Mine was liquidated because of cash-flow problems.