The Ministry of Minerals and Energy is set to spearhead a collaborative effort aimed at addressing the grievances and outstanding matters of ex-BCL miners
BONGANI MALUNGA
The Ministry of Minerals and Energy has pledged to lead efforts to solve outstanding matters of ex-BCL miners such as unpaid retrenchment and soft-landing packages.
The pledge was made during a meeting between the Minister of Minerals and Energy Bogolo Kenewendo, the Minister of State President Moeti Mohwasa, and the Botswana Mine Workers Union (BMWU) in Gaborone recently.
According to BMWU, Kenewendo has assured the former miners that the government will develop a collaborative effort involving her ministry, the MP for Selibe-Phikwe West Reuben Kaizer, the union and the ex-miners themselves to review outstanding matters with further updates scheduled for April.
Denied a platform
According to a statement released by BMWU, the union informed Kenewendo and Mohwasa that the ex-miners have received only their terminal benefits while their retrenchment and soft-landing packages remain unpaid.
The union stressed that efforts to organise meetings with the previous government were unsuccessful as they were denied a platform to air their grievances.
At the recent meeting, BMWU president Joseph Tsimako explained to the two ministers that a pre-agreed arrangement between the union and BCL management for disbursement of the retrenchment packages the mine was closed was not honoured.
Caught off guard
Tsimako also told the ministers that the government directive to proceed with liquidation caught them off guard and effectively vetoed the retrenchment package agreement.
“Before BCL was closed, we had an agreement that the retrenchment package would be implemented upon the mine’s closure,” said Tsimako.
“Section 25 letters were issued and we were at an advanced stage of executing the agreement. However, the government intervened and opted for liquidation.
“As mine workers, we were caught off guard as we had expected the retrenchment agreement to proceed as planned. Unfortunately, the government of that time did not honour the agreement.
Valuation report
“The BCL management was not involved in the liquidation process but we made it clear that the government, as the shareholder, bore responsibility.”
For her part, Kenewendo told the meeting that the decision to sell some of the staff houses was made in order to cover pending payments to the liquidator.
According to BMWU, Minister Kenewendo promised a valuation report on the remaining houses “to facilitate the sale of homes to ex-BCL employees”.