BMWU president accused of betrayal

Tension is boiling within the Botswana Mine Workers Union (BMWU) following its quadrennial Elective Congress held in Francistown late last year.

Botswana Guardian has established that some of the outgoing National Executive Committee (NEC) members who were seeking to retain their seat when contesting the elections have accused the President of BMWU, Joseph Tsimako, of betraying and sabotaging them ahead of the elections.

Tsimako has retained his seat as President of the Union for a second term. The newly elected NEC members are Deputy President - Phetogo Pogiso, General Secretary Mbiganyi Gaekgotswe, Deputy General Secretary Ditlolo Kobedi, National Treasurer Kabo Ramatsipele, National Chairperson Publicity - Boikaego Robson, National Chairperson Organising - Bojosi Mbanga, Chairperson Education, Moraole Sikwane, Chairperson for Gender and

Empowerment - Keresepe Lebetwa, National Chairperson for SHE - Emmanuel Mangope, National HIV & AIDS Coordinator - Yaaka Ndjola, Trustees - Onalenna Bakani, Constance Makhube, and Lesedi Keitirile.

Three teams contested - Team Tsimako, Team Maenge, and Team Serame. While the elections are believed to have been held peacefully, allegations are that most of the old NEC members who previously served under

Tsimako are not happy, as some of them feel that the President fooled them into believing they were part of his lobby list, only to drop them at the last minute.

The disgruntled outgoing Committee members who preferred anonymity disclosed in an interview that ahead of the elections, the BMWU President gave them a fake lobby list that embraced all of them.

'All along he made us believe that we were part of his lobby list, including his Campaign Manager. Little did we know that he created a fake lobby list and had his own original one to deceive us. “He even dropped his Campaign Manager from his original list. We realised at the eleventh hour that we were not part of his team,' one of the old NEC members said.

Only three members from the old NEC, including Tsimako, made it into the current NEC. The outgoing Committee is of the view that the President dropped them, possibly because they often questioned his decision-making processes and his leadership style. They are accusing him of being a dictator who made unilateral decisions with no consultations.

'He possibly hated most of the members of his old NEC team because they were unhappy at the way he ran the affairs of the Union. He never listens to any advice from his subordinates. He does not like to be opposed. Somehow, we are not shocked that he had to devise a plan to get rid of most of us,' the disgruntled members revealed.

Tsimako has however rubbished the allegations as not true. He said he did not have any influence in establishing the lobby list as it was created by delegates themselves. He, however, said most of the delegates were in his favour as the President but had divergent views on lower positions starting with the position of Deputy President.

'The lobby lists were created by the delegates. They exchanged various lobby lists. I never had any influence. Some of the outgoing members did not even show any interest to contest. At the end of the day, a final decision was made through the ballot box, and a new Committee was elected,' he said.

Tsimako also denied allegations that he dropped his campaign manager at the last minute. He said the Manager contested for the position of Treasurer but lost. Tsimako also said the Campaign Manager fully supported his position for the position of President.

He further dismissed accusations that he is a dictator who never tolerates any views from his subordinates. 'All these allegations are totally untrue and are made to tarnish my reputation,' he said.