Broke IEC struggles to pay registration clerks
The IEC, which has been under fire since last year, is at it again as the Commission is struggling to pay the voter registration clerks that were engaged during the exercise that started in January and ended early February. Botswana Guardian has uncovered that the clerks were told that upon the closing date of the 3rd February 2024, their funds would be credited in the following day.
It has however emerged that some of the engaged clerks are currently being sent from pillar to post regarding their payment. This publication has uncovered information where regional election officers were at pains to explain to the clerks when they would be paid. In the first instance, an excuse of the government paying system (GABS) was used as the cause of the delay. After it was realised that public servants who were engaged as clerks received their dues, the excuse shifted to that the commission does not have funds to cover all the engaged clerks. Botswana Guardian also established that the engaged public servants had their monies routed through their departments of employment.
This publication can reveal that some of the registration clerks who fall within the central region were paid by hand (through envelopes) while others received nothing. This is said to have caused anxiety among the clerks as to the criteria that was used in paying people. Another thorny issue is the taxing of the payments as there has been contradicting communications. The IEC officials have earlier indicated that only public servants would be taxed but a u-turn was made recently when it was communicated that all will be taxed. Information received by this publication shows that some of those who have been credited were not taxed.
This is not the first time the IEC is faced with these glaring developments, at the end of the voter registration process last month there were queries when some voter registration clerks were made to work on the 4th of February 2024 for completion of the work, some which was not even theirs, especially the shading of the registration of voter registration books. Where clerks were not available, the work was completed by their supervisors which is feared could have compromised the integrity of the process.
Minister for State President, Kabo Morwaeng stated on Wednesday that while they acknowledge that some of those engaged have not been paid, the root cause is not unavailability of funds. He said there has been technological challenges with the government paying system that caused the prolonged delays. This is however in contradiction of some of the communications shared with the Botswana Guardian from the engaged clerks. He reassured that payments will be made soon. Morwaeng has told Parliament this week that the 736,424 registered voters represent about 54 percent of the target, which is approximately 1.3 million.
He told Parliament that a lot of work remains to be done to achieve the target and the IEC will do everything within its power to achieve it. Currently, there is an ongoing Supplementary Voters’ Registration Exercise, running from the 26th February to the 15th March, 2024. This is also expected to attract quite a number of Batswana to register as voters in readiness for the 2024 General Election. He said the 2024/2025 financial year is particularly important in the Commission’s calendar of events in that it is the period when the Commission will be exercising its constitutional imperative of presiding over the 2024 General Election.
Morwaeng revealed that the second largest share of the Development Budget totaling P65,000,000.00 or approximately 17.4 percent will be allocated for another Supplementary Registration, to be conducted at all the Polling Stations, both locally and abroad. “I also propose that P15,550,000.00 or about 4.2 percent be availed for Review of Electoral Processes. This would involve automation of some of the processes such as voter registration, in line with the 2023 Electoral Amendment,” said Morwaeng.