High Court Justices To Preside Over BOPEU Hearing

Abench of three High Court judges is expected to hear a case in which former Botswana Public Employees Union (BOPEU) president, Masego Mogwera is challenging the legality of the purported BOPEU National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of April 27, 2019.

Gaborone High Court judges, Tebogo Tau, Gabriel Komboni and Mokwadi Gabanagae, will preside over the matter when it comes for arguments on October 16, 2020.

Mogwera and incumbent BOPEU president, Olefile Monakwe, have been involved in a bitter tussle for the control of the union following the April 27 NEC meeting at Regent Hotel in Gaborone, with Monakwe, then first deputy president, taking over the reins as acting president.

It was at the same meeting that the NEC purportedly decided to, amongst others, suspend Mogwera and the then secretary general, Topias Marenga, from the union. While Mogwera had instituted legal action to challenge her suspension, the union’s congress held at Palapye in November 2019 moved further to expel her.

According to observers, the case is the pinnacle of Mogwera’s power grip at BOPEU.

“This case is very important because it will end all the other cases that are before court in relation to the parties involved. It has a bearing on all of them. If the court rules that the meeting was illegal, everything that comes thereafter is also illegal because most of the things that happened were as a result of the resolution of that meeting,” a source said.

Mogwera recently succeeded in interdicting the union leadership from removing her from the board of directors of BOPEU business wing, Babereki Investments pending the final determination of the case. The case has been set for October 23, 2020.

Meanwhile, judgement in a case in which Mogwera is challenging her expulsion from the union is scheduled for November 27, 2020. The matter is before Justice Mercy Garekwe.