06 Feb 2014

The Ministry of Education and Skills Development (MoESD) has absorbed staff at Kweneng Bophirima Brigade in Takatokwane into permanent and pensionable cadre.

Answering a question in Parliament on February 5, the Assistant Minister of Education and Skills Development, Mr Patrick Masimolole said Kweneng Bophirima Brigade was taken over in July, 2011 by the government and since the take-over, the ministry appointed the substantive principal and deputy principal.

The employment status at Kweneng Bophirima Brigade, he said, covered six lecturers and 10 support staff employed on permanent and pensionable terms.

Mr Masimolole said four other support staff had been appointed on contract terms because at the time of take-over they were all 45 years old or above. Three support staff currently on temporary terms would be converted to permanent and pensionable by end of February 2014, he added. Parliament was informed that the brigade had four temporary lecturers that were on study leave.

Future plans for the development of the brigade, the minister said, included connecting it to the government data network by April 2014, constructing a kitchen and a dining hall.

The project, he added, was at tender stage and the contract would be awarded during 2014/15. Mr Masimolole said government would not build a petrol filling station for Kweneng Bophirima Brigade.

The minister was responding to a question asked by the Member of Parliament for Letlhakeng West, Mr Ngaka Ngaka who wanted an update on the status of Kweneng Bophirima Brigade in Takatokwane since its adoption by government and promise that it would be upgraded to a technical college.

MP Ngaka also asked the minister to give particular reference to the status of employees on contract, temporary and permanent and pensionable as well as future plans for developments at the college including a petrol filling station. ENDS