09 Oct 2013

Former employees of the Rural Industries Innovation Centre (RIIC) have been advised to invest their terminal benefits wisely after the institution officially closed shop recently.

Speaking during the official closing ceremony of the institution in Kanye recently, Manual Workers Union secretary general, Mr Johnson Motshwarakgole warned that using their packages unsparingly could throw them into poverty and take away their dignity.

Mr Motswarakgole also advised the employees not to view the closure as a dead end to their careers, but an opportunity for them to use their expertise to create employment for themselves and other Batswana.

He advised them to channel the lion’s share of the P47 million worth of benefits which they were due to share amongst themselves to open a private business that would enable them to continue rendering serviced in terms of farm equipment, machinery and implements to farmers rather than  leaving them in the lurch.

He noted that 14 former employees had already registered a private company with the view to continue production where RIIC had left off and lobbied the relevant authorities to afford them the opportunity to use the facility.

He said affording them the opportunity to rent the ready to use RIIC facility would be citizen empowerment and promised to give them support.

The former RIIC managing director, Mr Keamogetse Molebatsi also reiterated the need for the workers not to put the knowledge and skills they had acquired working for the company to waste.

He also advised them to have a positive outlook on life, take care of themselves and use their money sustainably, particularly in light of the impending economic climate.

Mr Molebatsi also advised them to use the available citizen empowerment programmes and schemes to better their lives.

Meanwhile, former chief engineer, Mr Segwati Pelotona has argued that the government should not have closed RIIC altogether, but built on their mandate in the quest to improve research capability in the country, considering the benefits Batswana derived from the institution. Ends