Expatriates hired unlawfully at BIUST-Dow

New information has emerged that some of the non-citizens staff hired to work at the Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) were brought into the country without following procedure and the applicable laws governing the engagement of non-citizens.

The Assistant Minister of Education and Skills Development Unity Dow briefed parliament today where she revealed that, “these people worked without the necessary permits and were employed and paid outside the BIUST council approved organisational and salary structures.”  According to her this happened despite advice of the relevant departments within the university.  She further added that when the immigration labour authorities had wind of this state of affairs, the relevant officers in their normal course of duty visited the university to investigate in accordance with the relevant labour legislation.

Said Dow, “this inspection is what the Vice Chancellor referred to as attempted abduction of foreign staff hence his so called security concerns.” According to the assistant minister some members of council in becoming aware of some of this and other transgressions, raised concerns during council and even outside council meetings. “At the centre of all this were lapses in governance at the university. Council meetings were not as regular as expected but decisions that are the prerogative of council were made and implemented by the leadership of the university,” said Dow.