27 Feb 2022

Headmen of arbitration are paid allowances instead of salaries because their conditions of service allow them flexible working hours to engage in other economic activities to compensate for other benefits extended to salaried employees.

Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Sethabelo Modukanele told Parliament that currently, there were 2 557 headmen of arbitration and their terms and conditions of service were to arbitrate on various issues in their respective wards and work for three days in a week.

Mr Modukanele further explained that given the nature of their work, there are no plans to pay headmen of arbitration salaries.

Headmen of arbitration, he said, were expected to keep confidential information at all times, maintain high levels of discipline and dress in a manner that was reflective of a public officer.

Member of Parliament for Bobonong, Mr Taolo Lucas had asked the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development to state the total number of headmen of arbitration in Botswana and their terms and conditions of service.

MP Lucas also wanted to understand the rationale for paying headmen of arbitration allowances instead of salaries and if the ministry was amenable to paying headmen of arbitration salaries and allow them all kinds of entitlements of salaried government employees. ends