09 Dec 2014

The founder and patron of Phakalane Estates situated north of Gaborone, Mr David Magang says he wishes for a day when members of the Botswana Public Employees Union (BOPEU) will enjoy directly the returns of their monetary contributions.

Mr Magang, former MP and cabinet minister, said at the official opening of BOPEU headquarters in Gaborone on December 5 that the fact that the union boasts a collection of income-generating structures built from a fund accruing from member contributions could not be overemphasised.

He said it was important that when the information is disclosed, it clearly stipulates whether the members get dividends on a yearly basis or get special bonuses. He said some of the questions that needed to be answered are whether the union has set up a special purpose investment vehicle along the lines of BOPEU pension fund that its members could tap into at old age.

“It goes without saying that union monies are monies of the people, for the people by the people; the monies have to benefit them in direct proportion with assets they accumulate, otherwise we could witness someday an uprising of the workers against “fats cats” amongst the union’s top brass; let us guard against an Animal Farm like revolt in the BOPEU realm,” he said.

The former Lentsweletau legislature further said major unions like BOPEU worked to provide the best benefits for their members, including the areas of positive work environment, job security, salaries, benefits, and the ability to strike if certain conditions were not met.

Larger unions, he said, also worked politically to be influential in legislation that would continue to benefit its members, adding that in doing so unions should not overreach themselves as there could be repercussions both directly and indirectly.

He said in some Western countries, unions so overpriced their workers that the end-result was a mass exodus of jobs to other countries of the world because people are living in a global village.

In addition, he said many western conglomerates now outsourced jobs to countries in Asia where unionism is not that aggressive and disruptive.

“I am not saying you should be a docile union, invariably prone to offering the other cheek when your employer, the government spits in your face, it is excess I caution against; life is about balance and any form of extremism can only be counterproductive,” he warned.

Mr Magang cautioned the union that whatever counter-measures they adopt have to be weighed against investor perception of the country and the broader economic well-being.

Mr Magang, who is also former secretary general and recording Secretary of the then Botswana Civil Servants Association (BCSA), further said in neighbouring South Africa, investors in the mining sector in particular, were putting up businesses for sale because the endless spiral of strikes had nearly fatally dented their bottom line.

“Investors create jobs, but there cannot be workers without jobs and there cannot be a BOPEU without workers, therefore the scope of unionist activity must not be fettered, for instance, unions must be free to participate in politics, even as individuals, ”he said

He said COSATU in South Africa did that robustly as an ally to the ruling ANC, adding that unions had produced presidents, like Leich Valesa in Poland, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Brazil and Fredrick Chiluba in Zambia.

On other issues, Mr Magang said BOPEU had since 2010 managed to acquire property and land worth over P40 Million, and in addition had established a business under the name Babereki, which had been separated from the normal union business in order to allow it to independently grow.

Mr Magang said Babereki would also allow the union to source income to complement the union’s core business, adding that he was also thrilled by the fact that the union considered investing in various sectors and geographic locations that included agricultural and commercial lands in Palapye, residential land in Morwa, a training school plot in Gaborone, and offices in places where the union has decentralized.

BOPEU president Mr Andrew Motsamai said in 2007, BCSA transformed into a union and a new strategy for BCSA was set, among other goals, the need to grow the investments of the union to secure the interests of the members was oulined.

Mr Motsamai said at the same time the union re-organised its functions and came up with exclusive departments intended to advance the interest of its members.

He said this resulted in separating the business and investment ventures to be run in isolation from the core client services.

“It is this dispensation that saw the growth of our employees under the Direction of the General Secretary, resulting from increased demands of services”, he said

Mr Motsamai told the gathering that BOPEU headquarters which is located at Central Business District (CBD) is owned by the union through its investment wing.

He said Babereki Investments (Pty) Ltd is 100% owned by the Union and the purchase price of the building was about P19, 246,250 (plus VAT), adding that the financiers are the Babereki Investments at the tune of P7, 246,250.00 and the BancABC Mortgage loan at the tune of P12, 000,000.00.

According to Mr Motsamai, currently the building is being occupied by the core union staff comprising the administration, the industrial relations, finance and the Education Training and research departments. ENDS