07 Nov 2021

There is need to introduce a policy that will assist employees whose companies have been liquidated or their employers declared bankrupt, says Selebi Phikwe West MP, Mr Dithapelo Keorapetse.

Addressing a kgotla meeting at Kagiso Ward in his constituency last week, Mr Keorapetse said it would be a ‘fair entitlement guarantee scheme.’ He said ex-BCL workers could not be paid other benefits they were entitled to because the liquidation law that governed the closure of the mine did not bind the government to pay the benefits.

He said the mine ex-employees were only paid one month salary. Mr Keorapetse said going forward the government needed to come up with a scheme that would provide financial assistance to eligible employees who lost their jobs.

He said the financial assistance would enable affected employees to pay off their debts and set to up businesses for themselves. He also called for the introduction of a business rescue law that would facilitate the rehabilitation of businesses that were financially distressed instead of liquidating them.

Mr Keorapetse also promised ex-BCL employees occupying mine houses that he would request the minister responsible to consider extending the leases beyond March 2022. 

On other issues, he said Premium Nickel Resources Botswana, the company tasked with re-opening the BCL mine, was going to take time to re-open the mine.

He noted that the company was yet to bring the mine infrastructure up to the commissioning stage. He also said a pre-feasibility study was needed and that all the processes would take time.

The Selebi Phikwe West MP also said he had requested that the new company consider ex-BCL mine employees first before everybody else during recruitment. 

He added that the closure of the mine had affected the socio-economic lives of Selebi Phikwe residents and that they should be given first priority over other people.

Mr Keorapetse also called for the implementation of SPEDU specific investment incentives, saying they should be aimed at luring investors and accelerating economic activities in the region.

He added that combined with the recently introduced Economic Inclusion Bill, it would boost the copper-nickel rich town. 

For his part, Selebi Phikwe Town Council mayor, Mr Lucas Modimana urged residents to look beyond looking for employment at the mine.

He said instead of looking up to the incoming company for employment, they should do business with the mine and other companies in town. 

He urged residents and ex-BCL workers to form companies, cooperatives and trusts in order to take advantage of business opportunities that would be available. ENDS