Oarabile Mosikare
22 August 2008
opinion
Palapye — Teaching Service Management (TSM) director, Opelo Makhandela is a stand up comedian of note. He could give the likes of Dignash aka Michael Morapedi a good run for their money.
Makhandela was at his comic best last week Thursday during the Botswana Teachers' Union (BTU) secondary and tertiary sectors' annual conference. That was where he left teachers and lecturers in stitches and some crying for more of his sharp wit. Admittedly, he is a number one fan of Nigerian movies. During his long interaction with his subordinates he will pause to tell them about a Nigeria film he recently watched. Makhandela explained to the gathering that majority of teachers spend most of their teaching time running away from creditors.
He quipped: "Some teachers are no longer teaching. Because they are in red, they spend most of the time dodging creditors." Makhandela also touched on the issue of transfers, more especially to rural areas, which he said was giving him endless headaches. He said a person would agree to go to a remote area only to renege on the agreement after a week at the area. "The teacher will say 'I'm patriotic I'm able to work everywhere'. But after a week he will come to my office with a letter from a private doctor written in medical jargon. The only English word I'm familiar with is the term chronic." Delegates met this with deafening laughter.
Makhandela chastised teachers at rural areas who engage themselves in love relationships with the hosts and associations such as Village Development Committee (VDC). He said these people are difficult to accept transfers. Others he said fundraise with transfers.
"Gona le ba ba chonang ba fund-raiser ka transfer - there are those in serious debt and fund-raise with transfers." He referred to these types of teachers as roaming teachers, those who move from one teaching station to another. The other problem he said he encounters in his daily administration is elderly teachers.
"Elderly teachers don't want to be transferred. You inform him/her that he/she will be transferred, but when the time of transfer comes I'm issued with a resignation letter," laughed the director. About the impeding massive transfers in the capital, Gaborone, Makhandela jovially warned that he was bracing for war.
Regarding some PhD holders who want to remain teaching at secondary schools, he compared them to heavy-duty drivers who would prefer driving light-duty vehicles. To a teacher who wanted government to sponsor them for LLB degree, Makhandela retorted: "A lawyer in the wrong side of the law also requires another lawyer to represent him/her. I don't agree with you that teachers have to study law degrees." He gave an example of two lawyers who were recently convicted for fraud.
To a male teacher who informed him that he was afraid to supervise female students at their hostel, the director commended him for his moral judgment. He joked: O dira sentle go tshaba go tsena ko banyaneng. Ba a golega!"
The director disclosed that the biggest promotion in the teaching profession was moving from C1 to D4. He said that is when a teacher will feel paid handsomely. He praised the teaching profession for "providing spouse for every profession. Matichara ba tshwere lehatshe."
Makhandela claimed that there are some teachers who have applied for a transfer simply to be away from their spouse. Lastly, he claimed some teachers cite fear of witchcraft whenever they are transferred to their home villages.
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