Keitsing grabs the baton as BOSETU backs off

EPHRAIM KEORENG
Staff Writer | Wednesday April 21, 2010 00:00

 

According to information reaching Mmegi, Hlabano, the president of BOSETU (Botswana Secondary School Teachers' Union) withdrew from the race on the insistence of his organisation just a few hours before the BFTU elections last weekend.

Some member organisations questioned BOSETU's allegiance to BFTU. Some people believe that BOSETU, which once joined hands with the rival Botswana Federation of Public Sector Unions (BOFEPUSO) in rallies to pressurise government to enact the Public Service Act, is disloyal.

BOFEPUSO and BFTU are bitter rivals. BFTU was opposed to the formation of BOFEPUSO, once challenging the Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Peter Siele, asking for 'clarification on why BOFEPUSO was allowed to register when there are pending issues of irregularities in the way it was formed. For example, on the issue of secret ballot voting it is not clear how the voting was done. So, we want to know how they were allowed to amalgamate in the first place,' the then BFTU president, Japhta Radibe, wrote at the time.

At the moment the BOFEPUSO registration by the ministry is before the courts. Yesterday, in an interview with Mmegi, BOSETU spokesman, Mogomotsi Motshegwa, said they pulled their president out of the elections for fear that some members held them in contempt for 'sleeping with the enemy'.

'In fact we decided to pull out of the elections after we realised that the ground was not fertile for our president to stand for elections. During the elections some member organisations accused us of being unfaithful to the BFTU, especially for rallying with BOFEPUSO.

'We therefore felt it would be untidy for us to contest for the presidency when there was a question mark over our loyalty to the BFTU. We told the triennial conference that we would retreat and not stand so that we can clear the mist by fully explaining why we collaborated with BOFEPUSO,' he said.

Another matter that was also raised by BOSETU is the fact that the financial report was not available as per the BFTU constitution's clause 15.5.5, which stipulates that the treasurer should furnish the members with a financial audit 'of  accounts for the period of his/her control as treasurer and as such books and documents under his/her control shall be handed t the custody of the trustees pending the appointment of the Treasurer,' reads the clause.

Motshegwa said they raised the matter after realising that there was no financial report at the congress. It was announced that the report was still being audited and would be ready at a later stage.

'We then moved a motion that the elections be moved to a special congress when the report will be ready. As a professional and honourable organisation we felt it would be improper for the new committee to assume office in this state of affairs, especially after we heard talk that the BFTU is in a dire financial mess. 'Unfortunately our motion was defeated through the vote, hence the elections went on. We said we would not partake in the elections on these grounds hence we did not participate,' he said.

When reached for comment, BFTU secretary general, Gadzani Mhotsha, admitted that there is need for a thorough explanation on BOSETU's collaboration with BOFEPUSO. Regarding the issue of the BFTU financial statement, he agreed that there has been a delay in producing the report but hastened to say 'but a reason has been given at the triennial congress that the report is still being audited and would be readily available at the special congress'.

Meanwhile, Lebohang Letsie of University of Botswana Academic and Senior Support Staff Union (UBASSU) won the vice-presidency. Secretary general, Mhotsha, retained his position whilst the incumbents retained other positions like the assistant secretary general because no one opposed them.