Morupisi confronts Masisi
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Former Permanent Secretary to the President, Carter Morupisi confronted President Mokgweetsi Masisi to express his disappointment for using him to fight his political battles with former President Lt Gen Ian Khama.
According to sources, a fuming Morupisi was able to set-up a meeting with Masisi last week. Chief on the agenda was Morupisi’s displeasure at how Masisi treated him, including among others the decision to not offer him contract extension, despite having earlier indicated his desire to serve two more years. “He went to tell Masisi off, I think he feels betrayed. Anyone would. Imagine being there and standing by someone only for them to turn against you,” revealed a source close to developments.
The meeting however did not end well, as Masisi did not take kindly to Morupisi’s confrontation resulting with the latter being shown the exit door. Following Masisi’s ascendance to presidency at the beginning of April in 2018, Morupisi became a key man in the fallout between Masisi and his predecessor, Khama. At the height of Masisi-Khama tension in the build up to 2019 general elections, Morupisi was used as the hitman, unleashing on the onslaught on his hapless former boss.
Morupisi’s civil service career found momentum during Khama’s presidency after being elevated from a Permanent Secretary position to head Directorate on Public Service Management (DPSM), and later assuming the reigns as the head of civil service in 2014. However, Morupisi found himself being saddled with the task of delivering the sad news to Khama every time. Unbeknownst to him, Morupisi at one point told WeekendPost that his loyalty lies with the current President as required by the position he held.
It is however believed that Masisi has always had plans to replace Morupisi with Elias Magosi, who was appointed as Morupisi’s understudy at the beginning of Masisi’s term in 2018. Magosi was announced as the new PSP three weeks ago, a development which incensed Morupisi. Though Morupisi had been on suspension since September 2019 owing to corruption charges relating to dealings at Botswana Public Officers Pension Fund (BPOPF) and Capital Management Botswana (CMB) he had hoped his contract would be extended.
Sources reveal that during his suspension from office, Morupisi proposed to have his contract renewed but he was turned down. During the heated meeting recently, it is alleged that Masisi felt no remorse at all when Morupisi confronted him on how disappointed he was. A few days before seeing off his contract, Morupisi had called a press conference in which he promised to spill the beans. In the invitation directed to the media, Morupisi quoted the iconic human rights activist Dr Martin Luther King Jnr, “Our lives begin to end the day we choose to be silent about things that matter”, he wrote.
The Office of the President however moved swiftly to warn Morupisi that should he proceed with such a press conference, there would be serious implications on his part. Morupisi developed cold feet and cancelled the press conference at the eleventh hour. It is reported that government threatened to withhold his terminal benefits should he contravene the Public Service Act, which govern Morupisi, who was at that time, a government employee.
Initially when Morupisi’s contract ended, it was alleged that Morupisi was given a period of three months to seek alternative accommodation while waiting to vacate his official residence at Extension 11 in Gaborone. However on Thursday last week, Morupisi was slapped with another secretive eviction letter that indicated that he needed to vacate the premises within a week. This, sources close to the developments say was done immediately after Morupisi and Masisi’s heated meeting. “Morupisi wanted Masisi to know that he is disappointed, I think he never thought at some point he would change on him. Now the tables have turned, he is amongst those who have faced the axe from the current regime,” said the source.
This publication reported that as the year slowly unfolds more heads are expected to roll within government enclave as Masisi is prepared to phase out more top civil servants from their duties and replace them with his new brigade. When reached for comment Morupisi denied having met the President on such grounds, indicating that the only encounter he had with the President was when he went to say his goodbyes since his contract was nearing an end.
More developments revealed by reliable sources to this publication indicate that the former PSP is now trying to rekindle his relationship with Khama.It is reported that Morupisi had recently met with the former President in a brief meeting. Morupisi made startling revelations at a media briefing in Gaborone last year which was aimed at discussing the pension and benefits of former presidents, in which Khama was at the receiving end.
The public service chief said former presidents; the late Sir Ketumile Masire and Festus Mogae never wanted special treatment extended to them from government with regard to pensions and benefits, but Khama continues to expect preferential treatment. Morupisi revealed that Khama had been a burden as he wanted to be treated with kid’s gloves and offered special treatment. He also revealed that all the favours propelled to Khama were not within the legal framework as they had to go an extra mile for him.
“In all honesty it will not be fair and authentic to the late former President Masire if I state that he wanted the government to treat him with kid’s gloves and extended his benefits beyond what is in the rule book,” he stated. According to Morupisi, Masire never troubled government, even though he had many financial shortcoming and needs. In nursing his relation with Khama, Morupisi would have to face the bitter realities. When Khama was at the receiving end of Morupisi directives in 2018, he accused the latter of using him in order to ingratiate himself to President Masisi in order to keep his job.
Khama warned Morupisi that all that he is doing to him in his endeavour to protect his job will soon catch up with him. Khama, who referred to Morupisi as a ‘pretender’ said he was concerned in his bid to please Masisi, he was doing so by undermining him, disparaging, frustrating and sabotaging him.
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BPS, Mosala Funeral Parlour butt heads over SA national remains
A squabble has broken out between Pule Mosala Funeral Parlour and the Botswana Police Service (BPS) over the remains of a South African national who has been in the Mosala mortuary for more than nineteen months. The deceased was one of 10 suspects who were controversially shot dead during a lengthy shootout with law enforcement authorities in Gaborone’s Phase 2 early last year.
The deceased individual’s family based in Soweto, has encountered difficulties in repatriating the body which has been in the care of Mosala Mortuary Services. Following the incident, it has emerged that all 10 bodies were transported to PFG mortuary in Lobatse for a brief period while the police attempted to locate their next of kin. It is reported that the families of the deceased were eventually identified and informed to come and identify their loved ones, including other South African nationals who were part of the criminal group. These families also witnessed the autopsy procedures conducted at Princess Marina Hospital in Gaborone.
Except for the family from Soweto, nine of the bodies were claimed and taken by their separate relatives. The Soweto family claims they lack the resources to bring the body back to South Africa and has made it known that they are looking for money. To end the supposed verbal agreement over the body’s storage for repatriation, Mosala Funeral Service has filed a case against the police at the Lobatse High Court.
According to Keakantse Mmotlhana, the company’s Sales and Marketing Manager, 10 people who were killed in Phase 2 by gunfire were all temporarily transferred to one of PFG’s branches in Lobatse by the police while efforts were made to find their next of kin. She expressed outrage at the statement made by the Minister of Defense and Security, recently.
After Assistant Police Commissioner Dipheko Motube called her office to apologize for giving the Minister wrong information during a news conference, she confirmed that they had accepted the apologies. He made it clear that one of the victims was still at Pule Mortuary in Lobatse.
Bushie Mosala, the director and owner of Mosala Funeral Services, confirmed that the body of a South African national has been in his mortuary for the past nineteen months. He expressed his desire for the police to remove the corpse from the mortuary, characterising the situation as a “nightmare.” He has instructed his legal team to file a lawsuit against the police in the Lobatse High Court concerning the body.
Mosala urged the acting Police Commissioner to come forward and apologize to the nation for the situation, asserting that the public has the right to know the truth regarding the body of the South African national, w
C -002Bhich was preserved by the police as evidence.
The South African High Commission in Gaborone had not responded to queries from Weekend Post at the time going of going to press.
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BOSETU frustrated by Gov’t new dispute winning strategy
Botswana Sectors of Teachers Union (BOSETU) has expressed alarm over a troubling trend by the government. Tobokani Rari, Secretary General of the BOSETU, stated that it appears that these days, whenever there is a dispute between workers and the government, the administration is fast to run to the courts to attempt and muffle unions.
“This is quite disturbing development, we have seen it with the Botswana Doctors Union, there was a disagreement over the shift allowance, government rushed to court, they indeed got order that was saying the doctors should go and do the work. We have seen it with the nurses, they rushed to court they got the order, we are now seeing it with the teachers, they rushed to the court and they got what they wanted,” said Rari, who also served as the Secretary General of BOFEPUSU.
Rari raised concerns that the government’s enforcement of teacher’s work, through a court order will result in reduced classroom productivity and morale. Rari added that this situation would negatively impact labour relations and teachers emotional wellbeing due to dissatisfaction in their work places leading to persistently poor academic outcomes.
“You can get an order that forces people to work, but what happens at work, it heightens emotions, it destroys relationships and the morale goes down and productivity does. Courts and judgments don’t solve productivity issues. Productivity only comes when people are satisfied at the workplace, so if you force them to work through a court order then you may not get the maximum out of the working population,” said Rari
MESD vs BOSETU COURT CASE
“As you are aware, the Ministry of Education approached courts and they were demanding three things from the court in this case between BOSETU and the ministry. First, they were demanding that the joint letter that was written by BOSETU and Botswana Teachers Union (BTU) asking members to stop doing course work because there was no agreement be declared unlawfully and BOSETU should write to its members and withdraw that letter within 24hrs. The second thing that they were looking for, was to interdict BOSETU from further issuing any instructions to that effect going forward. Lastly was that court should hold BOSETU to pay the cost of the lawsuit on a punitive scale,” Rari said.
Rari stated that the court decided to rule in favour of the Ministry of Education on all three relieves sought, that the savingram should be declared unlawful, that BOSETU should withdraw the contents savingram within 24hrs.
Court also said BOSETU should not issue any of such instructions going forward up until the case of contempt that BOSETU has taken to court, the contempt of the 2009 judgment has been decided. Court also awarded cost to the ministry on a punitive scale.
“BOSETU is a law abiding citizen and therefore we are bound by any laws and judgments that are there in Botswana and arise on the courts of Botswana hence we have complied with the order. On the 31st after the court case, we wrote to all our members and told them that the contents of that savingram as far as coursework is concerned has been withdrawn,” said Rari.
Rari said what happened in this case is that the judge decided to listen to the urgency without the responding affidavits of the opposing party, BOSETU, and went on to rule the merit of the case, which surprised the union.
“However we have been in discussion with our lawyers because if we leave things like this, we feel like we cannot leave that unchallenged. We have taken a decision to appeal the judgment,” Rari confirmed.
2023 COURSEWORK AND INVIGILATION AGREEMENT
“We would like to make our members aware that the following day after the judgment, we were able to meet the Ministry of Education and we have arrived at a conclusion that we signed an agreement that coursework rates will be increased by 5%. If court had ruled that coursework is the duty of the teachers’ means it wouldn’t have been any agreement after the court case, it tells you that the issue is still open and it is on the table. We have arrived at an agreement that there is going to be an increment on all components of coursework and invigilation,” Rari pointed out.
Rari further explained that Article 2 says union party is to submit detailed proposals on the intensity of the coursework for further engagement. Intensity of coursework means where the coursework payment starts in terms of varying from different subjects. He said the outcome based subject that are taught Maun Senior Secondary School and Moeng college which are agriculture and hotel and tourism is that ministry have agreed and acknowledge that there are some peculiarity in their coursework and therefore should be paid in line with the peculiarities that are contained in their coursework.
CONGRESS RESOLUTION
Rari pointed out the resolutions taken at the conference where the issue of application of corporal punishment was addressed. “BOSETU will issue out a memo to their members to advise them that they should not apply corporal punishment, they should leave it to be applied in line with the Education Act.”
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BMC sees red as mass buffaloes disrupt plans to supply schools
The Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) which had struck a deal with the Ministry of Education to supply some schools in the northern part of the country is counting losses as mass migration of buffalos jeopardize the Commission’s plans.
Information reaching this publication shows that the beef exporter was recently given the greenlight to supply government schools with beef. According to documents seen by this publication, as a result BMC had scheduled to buy and collect cattle in the Nata-Gweta and Boteti constituencies from 11 to 17 September.
This was after BMC and the Ministry of Education struck a deal for the former to supply government schools with beef. Letters exchanged between Ministry officials state that it has been recommended to the ministry to support BMC by allowing it to supply schools with beef products.
The Ministry indicated that it was aware that some schools have contracts that are currently running with suppliers such as local butcheries.
The Ministry revealed that at the same time BMC has 256 tins of frozen quality meat at its Maun Plant.
The Ministry requested the Director-Regional Operations to appoint an officer to manage the procurement of meat for schools that do not currently have running contracts. The Ministry further stated that Modalities of collection will be arranged between the region and the schools identified.
According to the Ministry, a list of schools including the condition of their cold rooms and their number of deliveries and kilograms per week they buy should be compiled. The Ministry also requested its officials to share the list with headquarters and the acting director-Basic Education, and engage BMC accordingly to procure.
But this plan ran into trouble after it emerged that between 300 to 500 buffalos migrated from the buffalo fence area to Nata, Dukwi and Mosetse areas.
The Department of Veterinary Services sprang into acting by revising movement protocol for cloven-hoofed animals with immediate effect following buffalo sightings in zone 3b which covers Nata/Sowa, zone 3c which is around the Dukwi areas as well as zone 6a, which covers the Mosetse area, which fall under zones, 3b, 3c, 5,6a and 8.
The Department of Veterinary Services indicated that as a result, movement of live cloven-hoofed animals and their products out of zones 3b, 3c, 5, 6a and 8 were prohibited and that movement of live cloven-hoofed animals within and into these zones is only allowed for direct slaughter at licensed slaughter facilities under veterinary movement permit issued through BAITS.
The department also indicated that the movement of fresh products derived from cloven-hoofed animals such as raw milk, skins and fresh meat into these zones is also only allowed under a similar arrangement.
Movement of live cloven-hoofed animals into these zones for rearing and other purposes will not be allowed, and farmers and the general public is requested to continue being vigilant and report any buffalo sightings to the nearest veterinary office, the police or the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, the department said.
Meanwhile the Ministry of Agriculture has stated that following the press release on prohibition of movement of live cloven-hooved animals and their products in and out of Zones 3b, 3c, 5, 6a & 8, the acting Minister of Agriculture Karabo Gare, his counterpart Acting Minister of Environment, Wildlife & Tourism Mabuse Pule, acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture Mr. Joshua Moloi, Director of Veterinary Services Dr Kefentse Motshegwa and other government officials visited the areas of Sepako and Dukwi respectively on a mission to consult with communities regarding the invasion of the places by buffalos.
Minister Gare alluded that they have been sent by the President of Botswana, who is equally worried by the current situation. He noted that the affected areas have a total of around 300000 cattle and if the situation goes unchecked, there might be detrimental effects on the economy of this country.
He encouraged the communities to help government going forward by reporting any spotted buffalos in their areas, emphasizing that buffalos are dangerous and can kill people and that care should be exercised at all times.
The Director of Veterinary Services mentioned that they closed the above mentioned zones to allow for testing of buffalos & cattle for foot & mouth disease. The wildlife department’s Director Mr. Moremi Batshabang assured farmers and the community that they will eliminate small clusters of buffalos found within communities and translocate larger clusters to ensure their safety.