12 Nov 2015

The Ministry of Agriculture has budgeted P10 million for transformation related activities at Botswana College of Agriculture in the current financial year. 

Answering a question in Parliament,  Assistant Minister of Agriculture, Mr Kgotla Autlwetse said no infrastructure development was planned for the transformation process. 

He said for the expansion of the college, a physical masterplan for the Sebele campus has been developed. He noted that it provides a land utilisation and development framework that would ensure that all buildings and facilities that would be required for the orderly growth and development of the envisaged university of agriculture were adequately provided for. 

The assistant minister said during the restructuring of the organisation, there was a likelihood of job losses. 

He, however, said the University of Agriculture Act No. 12 of 2015 stipulates that all employees of the corresponding employees of the university shall continue in office for the period which they were appointed as employees of BCA. 

He further noted that the transition into a new organisational structure was being negotiated with staff union, and that the outcome of the negotiations would determine whether there would be any job loss.

He said to engage all stakeholders, a transformation reference committee comprising management, student representatives and a staff representative was established in 2013 to contribute in the development of the transformation plan. The assistant minister noted that the committee was still active and that public consultations in dikgotla and councils have been held since 2014. 

He said the college has developed a transformation plan which was approved by the governing council in June 2014. 

Out of the P10 million budgeted for the transformation, Mr Autlwetse said over P1.5 million was used for benchmarking. 

He said the benchmarking team consisted of representatives from the governing council, executive management, academic division, admininstrative division and the staff union.  

Gaborone North MP, Mr Haskins Nkaigwa had asked the minister whether Botswana College of Agriculture was being transformed into a university and also to state the budget for transformation, infrastructural development to be implemented, whether there would be job losses, when the university would commence operation, how much has been spent on benchmarking for the transformation, and who were involved in benchmarking. Ends