UB staff to petition President Boko
Tensions continue to simmer at the University of Botswana (UB) as employees grow increasingly disillusioned with the prolonged restructuring process that has dragged on for half a decade.
This past Wednesday, hundreds of workers at UB staged a public demonstration on campus, calling out both the university management and the government for their perceived inaction and lack of urgency in completing the restructuring process.
The demonstration marks the latest chapter in a long-running saga that has left staff feeling ignored, uncertain about their futures, and financially vulnerable.
Minister of Higher Education, Prince Maele, has acknowledged the situation and expressed awareness of the workers’ grievances.
Maele said he had met with both the university’s Vice Chancellor and the leadership of the UB unions. However, he stressed that his powers as a minister are limited in this matter.
“As Minister, I cannot act without the approval of the UB Council,” Maele said. “I have left the process to unfold without interference, although I am informed that an active solution is being pursued.”
His comments, however, have not gone down well with union leaders and staff. Many see the minister’s stance as passive, given the severity and longevity of the crisis.
According to Dr Emmanuel Mogende, President of the University of Botswana Academic Support Staff Union (UBASSU), the restructuring process began in 2020, and at the time, unions were generally supportive.
They understood the need to modernise and reorganise institutional operations. However, what was expected to be a structured and time-bound process has stretched on with no end in sight.
“After four years of waiting, in 2024, some union members staged a peaceful picket outside a university event attended by high-ranking government officials,” Dr Mogende explained.
“It was only then that the university appeared to make an effort to fast-track the restructuring.”
The university reportedly engaged an external consultant to expedite the process, even taking out a loan of an undisclosed amount to fund restructuring costs, including packages for those opting for voluntary exit.
However, Mogende says the loan has only added to the anxiety, as the university’s failure to repay could lead to the repossession of university property.
“What’s most troubling,” he noted, is the lack of transparency. The university has refused to disclose even to us, the union leadership, how much money is being allocated to the restructuring effort. Everything is kept under wraps”.
This opacity has created a tense environment. Staff members complain that the delays have severely affected their lives. Many say they are unable to access loans from banks due to their uncertain employment status. Others report that the stress and instability have made it difficult to provide for their families.
“There’s no urgency at all from the institution,” Mogende claimed. “We are speaking out because we cannot continue to suffer in silence. This delay comes at a great personal cost to all of us,” he said.
UBASSU is now preparing to escalate its grievances to the highest office in the land - the Office of the President.
Mogende said July 20 has been earmarked as the target date, and they are currently finalising logistics for what they hope will be a powerful demonstration of their resolve.
Disappointment also extends to the Ministry of Higher Education itself. According to Mogende, the unions wrote to the ministry in February and met with Minister Maele on February 11th, 2025. During that meeting, the unions emphasised that the prolonged restructuring was their top concern.
“It was clear that the minister was taken aback by the extent of the delay,” Mogende said. “He presented himself as a man of action and promised to follow up.”
Maele reportedly asked the unions to formally submit their grievances, which he would then forward to the UB management. He also pledged to convene a follow-up meeting once UB responded.
The unions complied and submitted their concerns. However, according to Mogende, three follow-ups have since been made to the minister’s office with no reply.
“Maele has not been responsive to our matter,” Mogende said. “The workers feel abandoned. That’s why we took to the streets of the university to raise the alarm and demand accountability.”
The university administration has yet to issue a detailed public response to the protests or the concerns raised by UBASSU. However, management has previously shifted the blame to the staff for delaying the process.