Infighting Ahead Of BTU Elective Congress

With just over a year left before the Botswana Teachers Union (BTU) elective congress, infighting has begun with office hopefuls accusing office bearers of targeting them with intentions to limit competition.

One former deputy secretary-general and now presidential hopeful, Elias Rebobonye was slapped with a charge of “bringing discredit to the good name and reputation of the union” in a letter dated March 8, 2021.

The National Executive Committee’s (NEC) secretary-general (SG) Agang Gabana stated in his summons letter that it was a complaint from a member of the union. The letter reads: “Please note that the NEC is empowered by Article 38(1) of the constitution of the union to take disciplinary action against any member whose conduct is deemed to bring discredit to the good name and reputation of the Union.

Having considered the complaint, the NEC takes the view that the allegations against you are in a serious light and intends to determine the truth or otherwise of these allegations”. The said member had complained to the union that on February 20, 2021, during a BOTUFF Special General Meeting, Rebobonye acted in a manner that brought discredit to the good name and reputation of the union.

The member allegedly accused Rebobonye as the former SG of divulging information he purported to have obtained in his capacity as the former union leader. During that meeting, it is alleged that as one of their agenda Botswana Teachers Union Member Funeral Fund (BOTUFF) had wanted to know when BTU intends to pay its loan debt that backdates the time they used to share bank accounts. Rebobonye in his capacity as BTU’s former deputy SG said he was aware of the money owed by BTU to BOTUFF something that irked the BTU leadership saying they were not aware of the debt.

The said member of the union claimed the truth of the matter was that the union was only notified of the debt in the 2019-2020 financial year and that before then the financial records of the union never recorded any debt owed by the union to BOTUFF.

Rebobonye believes his comment is behind the current dispute between him and the union and believes they are plotting to block him from contesting in the upcoming congress to be held in July next year. Reached for a comment Rebobonye confirmed receipt of the letter and the union’s treasurer James Boshudi was identified as the complainant.

He said that he was further called for a disciplinary hearing on May 4, 2021, but decided not to attend it because he was not properly served. “Through my attorney, I notified the union that I was not properly served hence I could not attend the hearing. I commented and concluded to be aware of the debt because it was one of the debts that we inherited back in 2016 when I was the deputy SG because BTU and BOTUFF used to have a joint account,” Rebobonye said. Rebobonye further stated that the union might be aware of his plans to contest in the upcoming NEC elections hence planning to use his remarks as an excuse to suspend and block him from contesting.

For their part, BTU SG Gabana said history would judge them harshly if they start fighting over elections of a congress to be held in a year’s plus time. He stated that the union is currently focusing on issues of the members, especially that they are overwhelmed and are badly affected by COVID-19.

“It is usually very uncommon to talk about a year-plus congress this early. The union is currently focusing on issues affecting members like their condition of service amid COVID-19. I cannot divulge issues that involve a third party, NEC has a way of addressing such issues. I cannot talk about names of people and say things that are currently happening could be used to deny certain people of [a chance at] contesting,” he said. Gabana further stated that BTU has an independent committee that deals with elections hence not having the authority to talk about such issues.