Parliamentary Questions and Answers
Staff Writer | Thursday July 6, 2017 18:12
UB lawsuits cost P3m
Question: Mephato Reatile (Specially Elected)
To ask the Minister of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology to state:
i) The number of cases and nature of offences that took place between the University of Botswana (UB) against the University of Botswana Academic and Senior Administrative Staff Union (UBASSU) or any other staff member of UB for the past seven years.
ii) The number of cases that UB won and lost against UBASSU or any staff member for the past seven years.
iii) The total legal costs incurred by UB during their legal battles.
iv) The number of staff members who are currently serving suspension and how long they have been serving the suspension.
Answer: The University of Botswana (UB) has had a total of 23 legal cases against the University of Botswana Academic and Senior Staff Union (UBASSU) for the past seven years.
The natures of the
offences were as follows:
a) Conditions of service including:
l Unfair dismissal, whereby there were five cases, with two won by UB while three were won by the employees.
There have been 10 cases of salary and related benefits, of which four were won by the university, two settled out of court while the remaining four are on going.
l Claiming damages out of workplace injury - settled out of court.
l There are two of misconduct, which are still on going.
l Wilful dishonesty against the employer; wilful disclosure of confidential information and wilful neglect of duty - won by employee.
l Alleged unlawful non-renewal of contract, which is still on going.
l Appeal against termination of contract on the basis of redundancy - won by the employee.
b) Alleged improper advertising by the university -won the by university.
c) Seeking appointment as a lecturer - on going.
d) Alleged restructuring of the Department of Human Resources on-going.
ii) Madam Speaker, summarily out of the 23 cases, UB won nine cases, while the union (UBASSU) won three cases. The other two cases were settled out of court while nine cases are still on-going.
iii) The total costs incurred by UB during these legal battles is P2,995,904.74 (Two million nine hundred and ninety five thousand nine hundred and four Pula seventy four Thebe
iv) I am not aware of any staff member who is currently serving suspension.
Secretive military companies
Question: Dithapelo Keorapetse (Selebi Phikwe West) To ask the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry to explain on whose instruction (whether from this Ministry or another Ministry) the Registrar of Companies has sealed files and denied public access to documents on:
i) current shareholding, company information and public information documents relating to various companies commonly used for military procurement in Botswana on the grounds of national security; and specific individuals current shareholding, company information and public information documents relating to their involvement in various companies commonly used for military procurement in Botswana on the same grounds..
Answer: 1. Public access and/or inspection of companies’ records under the custody of Companies and Intellectual Property Authority (CIPA), is a legal requirement and obligation, as it is prescribed by Section 13, Sub-sections 1 to 5 of the Companies Act. Any action by CIPA therefore that contradicts this obligation, would be a violation of both the Companies Act and the Companies and Intellectual
In order to minimise frequent clinic visits to collect ARV monthly, as is the current policy, a special dispensation has been accorded to Okavango Delta employees to refill their medications every three months to ensure optimum adherence.