He dismissed the ministry's explanation that he could not travel because schools are opening. "The schools opened on January 9 and the trip was last week Thursday. I think this is just victimisation and some sort of punishment by the ministry," said Radibe, a secondary school headmaster who was controversially retired and then reinstated last year in what others saw as punishment for his union activities. At the Cairo conference, he was represented by BTU secretary general, Keorapetse Kgasa. The conference started last Friday and ends tomorrow.
When contacted, the director of Teaching Service Management (TSM), Opelo Makhandlela, explained that they requested Radibe to wait until things have settled at his school before embarking on the union trips. "We just asked if he could not delegate looking at the fact that the schools were opening and new students and teachers were arriving at his school. Couldn't he settle the school first before going on his numerous trips because this is not the last but the first of many trips that he will make on his union activities," Makhandlela said. He lamented that after his trips, Radibe never shares with the ministry what transpired or what is beneficial for education in Botswana.
