Govt. reinstates Mphathi as Botash MD

Government has reinstated with immediate effect Montwedi Mphathi, as Botash Managing Director of Botash. Mphathi was recently dismissed by the board from his lucrative post. The reason for his reinstatement is that the Botash board took an unilateral decision to relieve him the position without first consulting other stakeholders in particular, Government and or minister of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security, Sadique Kebonang.

Government argues that as a key player in the organisation, it was never consulted about the decision to fire Mphathi, let alone of his behaviour towards work that could lead to his dismissal, instead they only got to know about it through the media.Kebonang this week allegedly wrote a strong worded letter to the Botash Board chairman, Ian Forbes. In the letter he expressed concern that he first got to know about dismissal of the MD through the media.

On enquiring from Forbes why Mphathi has been dismissed, Kebonang was told: “I have sent you an email.” At the time of going to press, the said email had allegedly not yet reached Kebonang’s office. The government’s position is that the decision to dismiss Mphathi without government consultation was deliberately done to undermine its position as a major stakeholder. The government further finds the decision to relieve Mphathi his position without a hearing over matters that could have been resolved, very disturbing to say the least. More worrisome is that government has allegedly established that the decision to fire Mphathi was a foregone conclusion which the board had very little say over. Instead, it was the unilateral decision of board chairman, Forbes, who allegedly made up his mind to come to Botswana to effect it.

On the above basis, Kebonang, in his capacity as appointing authority, told Forbes that government rejects the unlawful termination of contract of employment of Mphathi and expects his reinstatement forthwith.Kebonang has allegedly warned Forbes that he expects compliance and that in the interim, government expects him not to do anything that may undermine the business in any way without consulting all stakeholders. Speaking to this publication, Kebonang confirmed that it is true that government has reinstated Mphathi. “As government, we do not agree with the dismissal of the MD, period,” he said. “We are also not pleased with how they reduced the relationship with a sovereign government to a mere email communication.”