Mqondisi Dube
7 April 2008
Selebi-Phikwe — BCL General Manager Montwedi Mphathi's advice to his employees is simple: Concentrate on your work at BCL and leave politics to politicians.
Mphathi is thus sticking by his management's 2004 decision barring BCL employees from holding political office.
This comes against renewed speculation that the union is in negotiations with the management to ease the restrictions and allow employees to participate in active politics.
The company barred its employees from seeking political office arguing, "no one can satisfactorily serve two masters". Selebi-Phikwe West Member of Parliament (MP) Kavis Kario is one of the top former BCL employees who opted out of the mine to instead concentrate on his political career.
But Mphathi said nothing has changed in terms of BCL policy.
"Why should it (policy) change? Those who are calling for its review, who are they working for?" He said employees should instead adhere to the company policy to ensure BCL's high productivity. The issue crops up at a time when different political parties are gearing up for the 2009 general election. Critics of the mine's policy argue that it denies the community able representative as BCL provides the bulk of professionals in Phikwe.
Botswana Mine Workers Union (BMWU) Phikwe branch chairperson, David Lesejane said the union had presented their case, urging the mine management to revisit its decision.
Lesejane said while the union appreciates that no one can serve two masters effectively, BCL employees should be allowed to at least contest primaries.
"Our argument is that employees should be allowed to contest their party's primaries and if they win, it is then that they can opt out of BCL. There is no assurance that if you stand for elections, you will win," Lesejane said.
The union is still waiting for a response from management on the issue.
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