Divisions haunt Manual Workers Union
Concerned Group demands removal of Motshwarakgole as union CEO Calls for NEC elections
Divisions are brewing at the National Amalgamated Central, Local and Parastatal Manual Workers’ Union after a concerned group called for the sacking of Chief Executive Officer Johnson Motshwarakgole.
The group also wants National Executive Elections to be held immediately as the mandate of the current office bearers has elapsed. The group’s Secretary Mmaophala Mokgosi said they are disturbed by the status and the modus operandi of the union. She said the union has lost focus and is running the risk of being irrelevant.
She stated that they want to sensitise the general membership of the union about certain issues pertaining to their union and encourage them to stand up and take full responsibility as enshrined in the constitution.
“Manual workers union is on a sick bed. The union needs the membership intervention to save it. The main problem with the union is that the constitution is not followed.
“According to the constitution, the mandate of the National Executive Committee ( NEC) is to run the affairs of the union on daily basis.
“That means the NEC should make sure that all the resolutions taken by the congress and conferences are implemented by the union secretariat.
“Precisely, the duty of the secretariat is to implement the resolutions as directed by the NEC,” revealed Mokgosi who has been fired from her position as Secretary General of the union.
She said currently the contrary obtains. According to Mokgosi the secretariat has usurped the responsibility of the NEC, as NEC members currently take instructions from the union employees. Mokgosi pointed out that if one is not in good terms with certain officers s/ he is purged.
“The employees of the union, as stated before, supervise themselves, hence this has compromised accountability. Some members of the NEC are also compromised as they have let themselves to take instructions from Motshwarakgole.
“A typical example is the employment of almost the entire NEC members in the regional offices either on permanent or contract basis. For example, the Secretary General and his Deputy have been hired at the Palapye regional office on permanent and pensionable basis.
“The union chairperson has been appointed at the Maun regional offices on contract basis. Other members have been hired at Kang and Lobatse offices,” she revealed.
She explained that the mandate of the NEC elapsed in December 2020. The office bearers are therefore illegally occupying the office, she added. She said instead of seeking fresh mandate through the elections they are now hiring themselves.
“They are the union’s constitutional delinquents. These delinquents need to be called to order with immediate effect. The union currently is headless. It has no direction. It lacks leadership guidance.
“To show how Motshwarakgole calls the shots at the union headquarters, all who differed with him have either been suspended or expelled from the NEC.
“The elected Secretary General ( Mmaophala Lucia Mokgosi) and two additional members ( Molemisi Teemane and Nicholas Sekweenyane) have been expelled. The mentioned cadres were elected at the December 2017 Congress held at Adonsonia in Francistown,” she stated.
She indicated that as concerned members, they have resolved that there should be an overhaul of the secretariat; a commission of inquiry should be instituted in order to investigate possible abuse of office by the employees; and the employment of National Executive Committee members should be investigated in order to establish whether it was done in good faith or not. She said all these should be done with immediate effect.
Motshwarakgole on the other hand, told Botswana Guardian that Mokgosi is misleading the nation and the union members. He explained that Mokgosi was dismissed by the NEC for what she knows she has done.
“I cannot share what she did that prompted her dismissal but she knows what she did. I am only an employee of the union who supervises and implements resolutions of the NEC. She needs to tell the truth and not be economical with words,” said the veteran unionist.
He said there is no how he could be removed from his position as CEO without following proper procedure. Motshwarakgole confirmed that he has hired some of the NEC members around the country.
“Even her at some point I hired her, now because I have hired others it becomes a problem,” he stated. Motshwarakgole dismissed claims that he controls the NEC as claimed by Mokgosi. He insisted that there is no how the union could hold its congress during the current situation of COVID- 19.
“For our congress we are expecting about 3 000 people which makes it impossible to have the congress under the current laid down COVID- 19 protocols,” Motshwarakgole maintained.