13 Jan 2026

Government has resolved to compensate former BCL employees in accordance with the 18-month soft landing payment and other benefits that were promised when the mine closed in 2016 due to liquidation.

This was stated by the Minister for State President, Defence and Security, Mr Moeti Mohwasa, during a consultation meeting with former BCL employees and other relevant stakeholders on Monday.

Mr Mohwasa said the government was aware that some promises made to employees when the mine closed had not been fulfilled. He said the situation had negatively impacted the well-being and social status of some of the former employees, hence it was necessary to take decisive action to address the issue.

Mr Mohwasa said that the primary compensation issue was that of the promised 18-month soft landing measure, an initiative that was designed specifically to provide critical support to employees affected by the mine’s closure, ensuring they have a financial cushion while navigating the challenges.

“The 18-month soft landing measure will only apply to those who lost their jobs when the mine closed in 2016 under liquidation. The task force team and relevant stakeholders will be assigned to work collectively and round the clock on modalities of compensation and other related matters,” he said.

He said while the assigned task team devised policies to roll out the compensation process, it was imperative to take collaborative measures for the success of the process.

Mr Mohwasa also highlighted government’s commitment to establishing a Liquidation Protection Fund to safeguard stakeholders and mitigate the effects of potential liquidations within the sector in the future.

He said this would provide crucial support to affected parties, ensuring that they had access to necessary resources and assistance during challenging times.

Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Major General Pius Mokgware, stated that the 18-month soft landing compensation would not interfere with any other payments, especially for those whose health had been adversely affected by working at the mine.

He emphasised that proper procedures for compensating individuals with health issues would be followed carefully. Currently, 107 former employees have received compensation for various health challenges related to their time at the mine.

The president of the Botswana Mine Workers Union, Mr Joseph Tsimako acknowledged the 18-month soft landing compensation. However, he stated that while modalities were still being finalised, there should be clear and constant feedback, saying this would give the much-needed clarity to the former employees.

Meanwhile, a former BCL mine employee, Mr Dipogiso Ookeditse appreciated the efforts, while on the one hand he observed that government should have also taken a resolution on how the concerned individuals would be compensated.

He expressed concern that assigning the issue to the taskforce team for the formulation of comprehensive policies and guidelines regarding the rollout of the compensation could potentially lead to further delays in the process.

Another ex-employee, Mr Rex Tambula, underscored the need to distinguish between the Insolvency Act and the Liquidation Act. He said the practice of merging the two pieces of legislation led to significant overlap, which in turn created confusion.

 He said conflation of the Acts resulted in ambiguities that could hinder effective decision-making and disrupt orderly resolution of matters.

“Separation of these two Acts would facilitate a more coherent legal framework, thereby enhancing clarity and efficiency in managing insolvency and liquidation matters,” he said. BOPA