07 Aug 2025

The Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) has undertaken a strategic commercial decision to streamline operations and enhance business efficiency in 2015.

Answering a question in Parliament yesterday, the acting Minister of Lands and Agriculture, Dr Edwin Dikoloti said that in order to facilitate this objective, BMC initiated a voluntary separation programme, inviting employees who were interested in pursuing early and voluntary exit.

“It is important to highlight that participation in the scheme was entirely voluntary, with employees required to provide written consent accepting the terms and conditions of separation,” he said.

He noted that the exit package was structured to include a lump sum equivalent to 12 months salary, together with payment of all applicable terminal benefits such as accrued leave, gratuity and relocation. Dr Dikoloti further stated that a total of 40 employees formally accepted the employer’s voluntary separation offer and were thus duly paid in accordance with the terms and conditions of the scheme.

He however indicated that subsequent to their separation, the affected employees instituted legal proceedings at the Lobatse High Court, where they sought additional claims, adding that the application was nonetheless opposed by BMC on the grounds that the original agreement with the aforementioned employees was explicitly limited to an exit package comprising a lump sum equivalent to 12 months salary.

“Any additional claims advanced by the employees were therefore inconsistent with and in breach of the agreement terms of the separation package,” he said.

Dr Dikoloti said the matter proceeded to trial in 2022 and the court ruled in favour of BMC granting absolution from the instance and dismissing the claimants’ application. The minister was responding to a question by Kanye West MP, Mr Victor Phologolo who had asked the minister if he was aware that some long time BMC employees were coerced and tricked to opt for voluntary retirement. ENDS