01 Sep 2026

Government will be in a position to compensate former BCL Mine workers once the ongoing liquidation process is officially concluded, Minister for State President, Defence and Security, Mr Moeti Mohwasa has said.

Addressing leadership of the Francistown City and North East District councils in Francistown recently, Mr Mohwasa explained that the government’s hands were currently tied by the legal complexities of the liquidation.

While several commitments were made to employees following the mine’s closure in October 2016, he affirmed that they were yet to be fulfilled.

He cited the 18-month payment and other outstanding benefits as one of the unfilled commitments.

Even though, he pointed out that the government would not provide compensation in the exact form of the original 18-month soft landing agreement, he assured stakeholders that the matter was being treated with due diligence and that a resolution was sought for the affected workers.

On the housing issue, he said there were no mine-owned properties in Francistown as former Tati Nickel mine houses were sold to the Botswana Defence Force.

Commenting on Minister Mohwasa’s briefing, the officials urged the government to expedite the liquidation process, saying it had taken long.

They also pointed out that the liquidation proceedings were draining state resources, costing government more money that could be better utilised to provide critical support to former employees affected by the mine closure.

BCL Mine, a state-owned enterprise, ceased operations in October 2016 after government placed it under provisional liquidation due to losses. ENDS