Selebi-Phikwe — The Botswana Mine Workers Union (BMWU) Selebi-Phikwe branch has demanded a probe into the union's accounts as fresh fissures emerged in the troubled labour movement.

Branch chairman, David Lesejane said the finances should be probed despite an ongoing internal audit. The Selebi-Phikwe branch wields substantial influence in the union with the largest number of subscribers at 3,200, mainly drawn from BCL mine.

Lesejane told Monitor that the proposed probe was discussed during a recent meeting.

He said there is need to ascertain whether the union received additional funding or the money was from subscriptions only.

"We are always told that there is no money and we wanted to know how the funds are being used. During the recent Francistown congress, the treasurer could not sufficiently explain the financial statement," Lesejane said.

He added that the congress was told that audits for the 2006-2007 financial year were being done. However, he said as a branch, they feel there is a need to institute independent investigations.

"It is not like we are saying Jack (Tlhagale) - BMWU secretary general or (Lentsefetse) Masilo (former treasurer) misused funds, but we want to know how our budget is, and to find out if the subscriptions we are receiving are sufficient for our operations," Lesejane said.

Demands by the Selebi-Phikwe branch to probe the union's finances are likely to heighten divisions within the troubled labour movement.

Recently, Tlhagale nearly suspended members of the Selebi-Phikwe branch after they invited Labour and Home Affairs Minister, Peter Siele and Selebi-Phikwe West Member of Parliament, Kavis Kario to address them.

This reportedly incensed Tlhagale who argued that he was not consulted. He blocked the meeting which was scheduled for November 7, 2008.

"Jack's problem was that we were communicating with the minister and MP without his knowledge. We represent the (union) members; they are the ones who gave us the mandate and there is no reason why we should involve him," a defiant Lesejane said.

He added that Tlhagale had targeted him and two fulltime stewards, Modietse Moesi and Bob Malele and was on the verge of suspending them. However, a task force set up by a council rejected such a move. The council comprises branch chairpersons and secretaries general. Lesejane said that Tlhagale wanted to impose his own people by suspending the three committee members.

"The task force and the national executive committee found that there was no issue. They felt Tlhagale should have called the branch committee first instead of taking the matter to the national council," Lesejane said.

He asserted that the strained relations between the secretary general and the Selebi-Phikwe committee is likely to affect the union's operations.

He said branch members demanded Tlhagale's head during a recent meeting. "In our last meeting, workers clearly expressed their displeasure at Jack's behaviour and demanded his removal," Lesejane said.

Meanwhile, Tlhagale says that he is not aware of any demands for an investigation into union's finances. He denies that his relations with the Selebi-Phikwe branch committee is strained. "It is normal," he says. He says some of the issues raised by the branch committee are being dealt with by the council. "These are not issues for the media. They are internal matters. The union cannot convene a meeting and then report its issues to the media. That will be a disorganised manner of running affairs," Tlhagale says.