BLLAHWU Raises Red Flags Over Planned Merger of Parastatals

Says everything points to retrenchments Singles out BQA as a strategic HR organisation The Botswana Land Board, Local Authorities and Health Workers Union (BLLAHWU) has raised concerns about implications for jobs resulting from a proposed government plan to merge scores of parastatals. In a note that focuses considerable attention on the Botswana Qualifications Authority, the Secretary General of BLLAHWU, Ketlhalefilwe Motshegwa, has expressed concerns of the union that everything points to a “plan to retrench employees”. [ihc-hide-content ihc_mb_type="show" ihc_mb_who="1,2,3,4" ihc_mb_template="3" ] “Since the then Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Dr. Thapelo Matsheka, made a statement in the Budget Speech of February 2021/22 about government’s intentions to reduce the number of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs)/Parastatal Organisations (because) these were expensive to the government, a lot has since happened within these organisations,” he said. He added that new government departments and SOEs are being established inspite of the plan to merge existing parastatals. Motshegwa said parastatals like BQA are currently paralysed because their employees and customers are not sure if the organisation has been marked for dissolution and characterised recent labour unrest at the University of Botswana (UB) and the Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN) as the tip of the iceberg. “The Botswana Qualifications Authority (BQA), established 10 years ago in 2013 as a strategic driver of education, training and human resource development in the country, is one such SOE currently undergoing self-imposed restructuring and retrenchment intended to cut down on its establishment register from the current 155 employees to around 77,” he said. He pointed out that BQA is responsible for registration, quality assurance and accreditation of qualifications and learning programmes from level 1 to level 10 (pre-school to postgraduate degrees) in Botswana’s education and training system. It is therefore, Motshegwa said, a strategic organisation that lies the centre of Botswana’s education and human resource development. Citing speeches by President Mokgweetsi Masisi, cabinet ministers and Vision 2036 on human resource development, Motshegwa said BQA should not be sacrificed. He noted that while restructuring of institutions to improve efficiency and productivity is an international practice that is conducted from time to time, employees of BQA “take strong objection to the manner in which the current restructuring is being conducted. “The law and procedure for restructuring and retrenching employees in Botswana and other countries is very clear, elaborate and transparent to all those likely affected,” said Motshegwa. “The current BQA restructuring is contrary to these established laws and procedures. It is secretive, non-participatory to employees, their unions and other stakeholders.” “It is therefore unacceptable and BLLAHWU call on the Board of BQA and Management to stop whatever they have started and re-start it and following the established procedure and legal requirements.” The government has approved plans to merge the Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) with BQA within two years. Other SOEs approved for merging are the Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA) with the Local Enterprises Authority (LEA), as well as the Selebi-Phikwe Economic Diversification Unit, Botswana Investment and Trade Centre, the Special Economic Zones Authority (SEZA) and Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO). The Minister of Entrepreneurship Karabo Gare has previously said the decision to merge and close some parastatals is meant to maximise service delivery and efficiency. He added that the plan is a part of public sector reform that is also aimed greater economic diversification. “As mergers take place, some functions may be affected and it is in government’s interest to ensure minimum disruption during the transition period to ensure business continuity,” Minister Gare said. [/ihc-hide-content]

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BLLAHWU Raises Red Flags Over Planned Merger of Parastatals

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