BOPEU and the Manual Workers Union want Government to disclose the financial, legal and employment obligations behind the African Hero partnership.
GAZETTE REPORTER
Pressure is mounting on Government to disclose the terms of its African Hero partnership with South African businessman Zunaid Moti, with organised labour demanding answers over public finances, ownership, jobs and future obligations.
Full Disclosure
The Botswana Public Employees Union (BOPEU) and Manual Workers Union have called on Government to disclose the financial, legal and contractual terms underpinning the partnership, saying taxpayers should know what Botswana has committed to and what obligations could arise.
BOPEU’s intervention comes days after President Duma Boko unveiled the Duma Boko School and Clinic in Block 7, the first major showcase of the African Hero model, which envisages 100 schools and 50 clinics across the country.
Government says it provided the land but did not finance construction, while it will assume responsibility for staffing and operating the facilities.
In a position paper, BOPEU demanded disclosure of the partnership’s legal and financial structure, the value and source of financing, Government commitments, ownership arrangements, guarantees, concessions, tax exemptions and any future or contingent liabilities.
The union wants answers to four central questions: what Botswana is receiving, what it is giving in return, what it is committing itself to and who ultimately carries the risk.
Lease Questions
The concerns are heightened by an earlier African Hero proposal that reportedly contemplated a 17-year lease-to-own arrangement under which Government would rent completed schools and clinics from the investor.
The Ministry of Finance previously raised concerns about the financial implications of that model and indicated a preference for open competitive bidding. The proposal has since resurfaced under different circumstances, with the Block 7 project completed and Government presenting African Hero as a vehicle for faster infrastructure delivery.
Jobs And Costs
BOPEU says development should not leave Botswana carrying expensive obligations that are not fully disclosed to the public.
It also wants to know whether construction will substantially benefit Batswana and local contractors, whether the completed facilities will create permanent public-service positions and whether Government has budgeted for teachers, nurses, support staff, medicines and other recurrent costs.
The union says it is not opposed to private investment but wants infrastructure partnerships to be transparent, economically sustainable and capable of delivering decent employment opportunities for Batswana.
Workers Join
The Manual Workers Union has joined the call for transparency. Speaking at a press conference, union leader Johnson Motshwarakgole said workers wanted clarity on what Government expected to receive from Moti’s investments and what the businessman expected in return.
“We want transparency, we do not want Moti and wish to know what he is expecting from us in return for his investments,” Motshwarakgole said.