Choppies Gaborone Fires 14

MONKAGEDI GAOTLHOBOGWE
Staff Writer | Monday July 26, 2010 00:00

 

Only two old faces remain after the shop hired new staff.  Choppies' head of human resources, Ben Steggling, says the workers confessed in written statements that they colluded to rob the shop, and also pleaded that they should not be investigated by the police. Steggling said the workers offered to resign and pay back the stolen money and goods, but the Choppies spokesman would not say how much the shop lost.

However, a number of workers interviewed on Friday said not all of them wrote confession letters.  They said a number of them were asked to resign after they were blamed by management for not blowing the whistle when they were aware of the syndicate.  The fired employees collected their dues at Choppies headquarters at Commece Park on Friday afternoon. 

According to the workers, an employee was confronted with a camera by management where she was threatened with a police investigation.  Upon hearing that the police would be called upon to investigate her, she spilled the beans.  Steggling denies firing the workers, saying they actually opted to resign rather than be probed by the police.  He also said the workers opted to pay the shop.

'Most of these employees are youngsters who do not have any experience of the law, and the mention of the police really scares them,' the ex-workers said.