- Centre employees not paid - Work under appalling conditions
Employees at the Francistown School for the Deaf and the Ramotswa Centre for Deaf Education have not received their salaries for the past two months.
Despite repeated promises from the government, these employees face severe personal hardships due to the ongoing delays, highlighting the growing gap between the government’s commitment to human rights and the realities faced by the deaf community in Botswana.
On Friday, December 13, a group of employees from both institutions travelled to Parliament, hoping to meet with the Minister of State Presidency Moeti Mohwasa to voice their frustrations and highlight the mistreatment of the deaf community.
Instead, they met with Boniface Mabeo, the Member of Parliament for Ramotswa, who vowed to do everything in his power to ensure they are paid.
Mabeo also provided food and transportation for the staff members, who could not afford the fare for the trip back home.
The 84 unpaid employees are urgently appealing to the government to process their overdue payments, as they face eviction from their homes, lack of food, and cannot afford essential medications.
Some even failed to exercise their right to vote in the recent elections because they could not afford the transportation costs to return to their home villages due to the salary delays.
The situation at the schools is equally dire for the students. Due to the financial constraints of the institutions, learners, including preschool children, are reportedly being fed only samp for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
In some cases, they are given the same meal for days on end, depriving them of essential nutrition. This, combined with the ongoing salary delays, has exacerbated the hardships faced by both staff and students.
Documents obtained by this publication show that issues between these institutions and the government date back to 2012, with repeated delays in salary payments.
This year alone, the two institutions have experienced six instances of delayed salaries—in January, April, July, October, November, and December.
A letter from the Botswana Society for the Deaf to staff members in June 2023 explained that the schools' finances had been impacted by water disconnections and reconnections at the Ramotswa Center, leading to salary shortfalls. The letter stated that salaries would be paid by mid-July 2023.
One employee at the Ramotswa Centre for the Deaf shared anonymously the personal toll of the salary delays, noting the difficulties of raising children, purchasing school uniforms, and buying food.
They also expressed frustration at missing important family events in their home villages due to lack of funds and explained that the constant delays have made it impossible to build homes or invest in businesses.
“These issues have caused chronic diseases to rise among staff members,” the employee said.
“We have endured years of late payments, and we have lost dignity in our communities and families. We can no longer contribute properly or even buy healthy food.”
The financial crisis at the schools goes beyond the staff’s struggles—it also affects the day-to-day running of the institutions.
Staff members report that students, who rely on the school for their education and welfare, are not receiving the nutrition they need.
The situation is now at a breaking point, with the deaf community feeling that their rights are being systematically violated.
They argue that they are being neglected by a government that claims to uphold human rights and equality, yet continues to ignore the plight of the deaf community.
The frustrated employees who spoke to our publication are pleading with the new government, which prides itself on its commitment to human rights and agility, to come to their assistance.
They cite President Duma Boko's statement that human rights come from God and that all Batswana must be treated equally.
In a response to the ongoing crisis, MP Mabeo stated that he met with the Department of Special Support Services (DSSS) and the Director of the Botswana Society for the Deaf, who assured him that the employees would be paid as soon as possible, likely within the week.
Orapeleng Mokgosi, the Director of the Botswana Society for the Deaf, confirmed that she is aware of the salary delays and that she, together with Mabeo, met with relevant stakeholders. They were assured that the employees' salaries would be processed shortly.
Mokgosi explained that the government and the Botswana Society for the Deaf sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) every quarter, a process that takes 30 days, during which time salaries are not paid.
While she acknowledged that there have been occasional diversions from the meal plan, she emphasised that the institution strives to provide proper care and nutrition for the children under their care as they take this very seriously.
Despite repeated promises from the government, these employees face severe personal hardships due to the ongoing delays, highlighting the growing gap between the government’s commitment to human rights and the realities faced by the deaf community in Botswana.
On Friday, December 13, a group of employees from both institutions travelled to Parliament, hoping to meet with the Minister of State Presidency Moeti Mohwasa to voice their frustrations and highlight the mistreatment of the deaf community.
Instead, they met with Boniface Mabeo, the Member of Parliament for Ramotswa, who vowed to do everything in his power to ensure they are paid.
Mabeo also provided food and transportation for the staff members, who could not afford the fare for the trip back home.
The 84 unpaid employees are urgently appealing to the government to process their overdue payments, as they face eviction from their homes, lack of food, and cannot afford essential medications.
Some even failed to exercise their right to vote in the recent elections because they could not afford the transportation costs to return to their home villages due to the salary delays.
The situation at the schools is equally dire for the students. Due to the financial constraints of the institutions, learners, including preschool children, are reportedly being fed only samp for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
In some cases, they are given the same meal for days on end, depriving them of essential nutrition. This, combined with the ongoing salary delays, has exacerbated the hardships faced by both staff and students.
Documents obtained by this publication show that issues between these institutions and the government date back to 2012, with repeated delays in salary payments.
This year alone, the two institutions have experienced six instances of delayed salaries—in January, April, July, October, November, and December.
A letter from the Botswana Society for the Deaf to staff members in June 2023 explained that the schools' finances had been impacted by water disconnections and reconnections at the Ramotswa Center, leading to salary shortfalls. The letter stated that salaries would be paid by mid-July 2023.
One employee at the Ramotswa Centre for the Deaf shared anonymously the personal toll of the salary delays, noting the difficulties of raising children, purchasing school uniforms, and buying food.
They also expressed frustration at missing important family events in their home villages due to lack of funds and explained that the constant delays have made it impossible to build homes or invest in businesses.
“These issues have caused chronic diseases to rise among staff members,” the employee said.
“We have endured years of late payments, and we have lost dignity in our communities and families. We can no longer contribute properly or even buy healthy food.”
The financial crisis at the schools goes beyond the staff’s struggles—it also affects the day-to-day running of the institutions.
Staff members report that students, who rely on the school for their education and welfare, are not receiving the nutrition they need.
The situation is now at a breaking point, with the deaf community feeling that their rights are being systematically violated.
They argue that they are being neglected by a government that claims to uphold human rights and equality, yet continues to ignore the plight of the deaf community.
The frustrated employees who spoke to our publication are pleading with the new government, which prides itself on its commitment to human rights and agility, to come to their assistance.
They cite President Duma Boko's statement that human rights come from God and that all Batswana must be treated equally.
In a response to the ongoing crisis, MP Mabeo stated that he met with the Department of Special Support Services (DSSS) and the Director of the Botswana Society for the Deaf, who assured him that the employees would be paid as soon as possible, likely within the week.
Orapeleng Mokgosi, the Director of the Botswana Society for the Deaf, confirmed that she is aware of the salary delays and that she, together with Mabeo, met with relevant stakeholders. They were assured that the employees' salaries would be processed shortly.
Mokgosi explained that the government and the Botswana Society for the Deaf sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) every quarter, a process that takes 30 days, during which time salaries are not paid.
While she acknowledged that there have been occasional diversions from the meal plan, she emphasised that the institution strives to provide proper care and nutrition for the children under their care as they take this very seriously.
