14 Feb 2018

Parliament was on Tuesday told that Botswana Power Corporation, chief executive officer holds Phd in process engineering and Diploma in Engineering (Metallurgy and Materials Engineering).

Minister of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security, Advocate Sadique Kebonang said whereas the experience of the CEO does not include management in distribution and transmission utility, the experience he has is very relevant to the situation, where the main objective is to turn around BPC operation so that it attains on –going concern as per provision of BPC Act.

“The CEO has over 20 years’ experience in leadership and management some of which was obtained in the energy sector, especially power plant construction and management leadership and turn around operations of businesses,” he said.

Advocate Kebonang, further said the CEO attained experience from companies such as Kraftanlagen Heidelberg Inc, Heidelberg, Germany, Deutsche Babcock Inc, Oberhausen, Germany and Sea, which is incorporated into the Bilfinger Power system group, TAC Turn Around Counsultin Ltd, Munich and Deusseldorf, Germany, KPMG Johannesburg (South Africa) and Frankfort (Germany).

Francistown East Member of Parliament, Mr Buti Billy had wanted to know the qualification of the current BPC chief executive officer and whether his experience includes management of a utility, particularly in distribution and transmission.

Mr Billy said if that was the case, the minister should state the number of years of such experience and where it was acquired.

Still in Parliament, Minister Kebonang said BCL employees were not paid retrenchment packages following the decision to liquidate the BCL mine.   

Responding to a question from Ghanzi North Member of Parliament, Mr Noah Salakae, he explained that the employees were not paid retrenchment packages as their termination was not a result of redundancy as envisaged by section 25 of the Employment Act, but they were terminated upon insolvency of BCL, hence they were covered by section 91A of the Employment Act. Ends