Kenneth Banda
14 March 2008
Gaborone — An undisclosed number of BCL employees have been dismissed for their involvement in a payslip scam in which several financial institutions may have been swindled.
BCL Divisional Manager responsible for Marketing, Gerald Ndlovu, has confirmed the taking of disciplinary action against employees caught in a counterfeit payslip scam which allegedly involved replication of payslips bearing inflated salary figures in order to secure loans with financial institutions. Ndlovu did not specify the disciplinary action taken against the affected employees, but Mmegi has it on good authority that the employees were dismissed, although the number could not be ascertained.
Ndlovu said disciplinary action was taken against some of the employees, while others are still being investigated. "Some cases are still pending internally," he said. "Some have been handed to police for further investigation."It is understood that the probe into the scam has extended to other mines. Financial institutions, including some banks, have been assisting with investigations. The probe is being widened partly because of fears that the affected BCL Mine employees were working in cahoots with certain individuals working for financial institutions targeted for the deception.Meanwhile, other news involving BCL Mine is that its management and the Botswana Mine Workers Union (BMWU) will soon embark on wage negotiations for this year. Ndlovu said the negotiations would start "as soon as the union had submitted its proposals".
According to BMWU Chairman David Lesejane, a part of the negotiations will focus on an outstanding salary structure review. "We have an outstanding salary review," Lesejane said. "We have written to the management (of BCL) on the issue and are awaiting their response. It's not about a salary increment but upgrading structures to take account of inflation. "He said for the union to negotiate for a salary increment, its leadership must be specifically mandated by the general membership. "We hope we will get the necessary mandate," Lesejane added. Good global metal prices have fed an appetite for a pay hike among BCL workers.
Ndlovu said BCL Mine was doing all it could to remain a good employer, but said the company was facing stiff competition from its peers. "The competition for scarce skills is tough and is bound to get tougher," he said. We are chasing a moving target, but we believe we are up there with the top pack of the league. "He added that a remuneration adjustment "should ideally be in response to improved productivity if it is to be sustainable". With Debswana having fallen off as the leading employer, nickel miners BCL Mine and Tati Nickel Mine are ahead in terms of remuneration.
Sources say BCL Mine General Manager Montwedi Mphathi's salary has doubled over the past year to more than P200,000 per month. But Ndlovu insisted that the salaries of top management are confidential. Mphathi's salary was the subject of intense debate in Parliament last year, but like Ndlovu, the then Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Moeng Pheto said the figure would not be disclosed to the public. At the time, confidential sources said Mphathi's salary was P105 000.
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