Court cases cost BOPEU millions of Pula
Union internal fights disturbed service delivery to members Union drained lots of funds which could have be used to serve membership - Jopi
Botswana Public Employees Union ( BOPEU) National Executive Committee member, Tambona Jopi says the union’s financials have been severely affected by the internal squabbles in the past two years. Jopi who is the chairperson of BOPEU’s FrankMartts Region said for the past two years since 1st quarter of the three terms of National Office Bearers ( NOB), the Union has experienced repressiveness and backwardness because of foiled coups in the union.
“This stalled all union activities from workplaces to national structures. It drained the Union millions of funds that should have been used to benefit a member. Our Region was highly affected. “The expectations that the members had on their WURCs, Branch Executive Committees ( BECs), and Regional Executive Committees ( RECs) were thwarted. Our Region experienced some illegal tendencies or anomalies which were addressed by the Courts of Law. “Since the Courts of Law have now restored sanity in the union it is upon us as leaders to ensure that we close ranks and deliver the mandate of the members to their expectations,” he told the regional consultative conference.
He said Regional Executive Committees ( REC) will come up with activities that will activate the membership and bring back that belonging that nearly perished.
“We expect branches to also come up with activities that will mobilise, organise, educate and agitate the members at workplaces,” he said, adding that, “as BECs, we are expected to hold leaders above us, from Regional up to National accountable. Corrupt activities and financial embezzlements should be something foreign in our Union”.
“This meeting comes after some tussles in courts of law where President Masego Mogwera, General Secretary Topias Marenga, and others stood to defend the integrity of BOPEU. “In our Region we had our REC dissolved, regional leadership suspended by the purported National Executive Committee ( NEC) and Special General Congress ( SGC). These purported NEC and SGC were declared illegal and unconstitutional and all their decisions were set aside by Courts of Law. “I am pleased to inform you that justice was served and sanity was restored in the union. Let me appreciate all Branch Executive Committees which were not shaken by all and remained steadfast and ensured that unity at workplaces remains firm as they were convinced this will come to pass,” said Jopi. He told union members that BOPEU as a trade Union exists primarily for protecting workers’ rights and advancement of members’ collective interests. The Union, he said stands for justice and fairness within it and at the workplace. According to Jopi, any form of injustice and unfairness in the union, shakes and polarises it.
“We need to guard against any form of injustice, and we should be jealous of our unity and solidarity. As leaders, we need to uphold the constitution to avoid dire consequences. COVID- 19 has devastated families’ incomes, community and lives of the working- class.
“It has brought many economies to their knees. COVID- 19 is dictating our way of lives and many governments. We need to fight against this unknown enemy by following the protocols,” Jopi stated.