BOPEU chaos escalates
Botswana Public Employees Union (BOPEU) leadership team that lost its case against union President Masego Mogwera has filed appeal papers with the court, Botswana Guardian has learnt.
The factions within the union leadership have resulted in a legal battle which has pitted BOPEU as 1st Applicant followed by Ogaufi Masame, Zibani Philemon, Mosalagae Tlhako and Motswaledi Monaiwa against National Office Bearers (NOB) members being union President Mogwera as 1st Respondent followed by Tlhabologo Galekhutle (Treasurer), Martin Gabobake (1st Deputy President), Topias Marenga (General Secretary) and Ketlhapelang Karabo (Deputy General Secretary).
Following a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting last month at Cresta Lodge in Gaborone, Mogwera and team were suspended pending investigation. Philemon was subsequently appointed acting president. Mogwera’s team in turn declared a state of emergency and suspended Philemon and crew. NOB members are also part of the NEC. Philemon and crew approached the court on urgency to hear the matter.
Sources close to the development have revealed that Philemon’s team has been working round the clock with their lawyers since last week Friday’s judgment to appeal the decision by Lobatse High Court Judge, Godfrey Nthomiwa who agreed with Mogwera that the matter brought before him to forcibly remove her and the NEC from office was not urgent and that it was not brought properly before him.
The judge dismissed the application on urgency despite the interim committee having indicated that the union president was suspended in order for investigations to be carried without interference. According to information gathered by this publication, Mogwera and team were to be served with appeal papers between Wednesday and yesterday (Thursday).
Speaking to this publication Philemon said they are still weighing their options. He indicated that their lawyers are still scrutinising the judgment and would advise accordingly. Philemon explained that they still believe that they are the legitimate leadership because a lawfully constituted meeting had suspended Mogwera and team.
He said if not attended the matter might bring more harm to the union than it could ever be imagined. Philemon said all they want is to protect the integrity of ‘the union of choice’.In his judgment Justice Nthomiwa indicated that the matter is not urgent and the applicants are not entitled to the relief of the interim interdict they sought.
He explained that the matter is not properly brought before court by way of motion proceedings instead of being brought by way of action.Nthomiwa said because of the suspension of the applicants, they could not bring proceedings on behalf of BOPEU in so far as the change made in the composition of the NEC was in violation of legal framework governing Trade Unions.
He said it was on that basis that the applicants lacked the necessary legal standing to bring the current proceedings for and on behalf of BOPEU. The court also declined to have an audio recording from the Cresta meeting as part of the proceedings.Mogwera and team were suspended for failure to observe Articles 53.1 and 53.2 of the Union Constitution respectively, which speak of the secondment and remuneration of office bearers (president and treasurer general) as well as sanctioning the implementation of the new BOPEU structure.
They refused to vacate their seats saying only the congress can remove them. That is when Mogwera declared a state of emergency and suspended the interim committee, forcing them to take the legal route. Philemon and team are likely to face a disciplinary hearing anytime soon, however he told Botswana Guardian that they have not yet received any letters warning them about any pending disciplinary hearing. “We are waiting for such letters and they know where to find us if they want to take that route,” he stated.