14 Jun 2018

 Botswana Power Corporation 14 months ago started implementing the Masa 2020 transformations strategy in order to reform the business process of the corporation.

Minister of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security, Mr Eric Molale said in implementing the strategy the corporation followed the three R principle of redeploy, retain and retrench.

“In that regard, managerial and supervisory positions within the new structure of the corporation were advertised internally and externally,” he said.

He said employees who applied for jobs and were found to be competent were retained in their current positions or redeployed.

Mr Molale said where employees had skills gaps which could be closed within a short period of time through on the job training, they were offered such positions on development basis.

Furthermore, he said BPC as at May 2018 had a staff complement of 1 769 out of which only five were expatriates.

“We would like to assure you that expatriates were not retained at the expense of locals. Those who were appointed to positions had applied alongside locals and underwent a rigorous recruitment process.”

He said the Masa transformation strategy had improved on service delivery by connecting customer’s fasters, reducing electricity outrages as well as reducing the restoration time in the event of a fault.

Furthermore, he said during the implementation of Masa 2020, BPC has been able to connect 96 more rural villages to its network.

Mr Molale said BPC spent P190 million in the last 14 months on the restructuring exercise and was able to improve its profit and loss statement by P1 billion.

Furthermore, he said the BPC chief executive officer had a five year contract with four years left to date. He said the board of directors at BPC have established a succession plan for the CEO position.

Gabane/Mmankgodi Member of Parliament, Major General Pius Mokgware had asked the minister to update Parliament about the restructuring of BPC, and why the three R principle was applied.

He also wanted to know why the expatriates were retained at the expense of locals, and if the exercise had improved service delivery and to state the total cost of the exercise and when a local would be appointed CEO.

Responsing to another question from MP Mokgware, Mr Molale said it was true that a board member of BPC had their membership terminated in March 2018, adding that the chairperson or any other member of the board may cease to hold office by resignation and by removal from office by the minister.

He said the members tenure on the board  was terminated by the minister, adding that the process stipulated in the BPC Act (Part II Section 5) was followed.

Minister Molale further said the minister could relieve a member of the board of their membership and that he/she does not need to receive a recomendation to exercise that prerogative.

“The BPC board chairperson was made aware of the removal of the member as the letter of termination was copied to the chairperson,” he said.

MP Mokgware had asked the minister if it was true that a certain board member had been dismissed from BPC, and if so, what process were followed in the dismissal.

He also wanted to know whether the BPC Act (Part II Section 5) was followed and who made the recommendation for the dismissal.

He also wanted to know if the BPC chairperson was made aware of the possible removal of the member. ENDS