29 Aug 2024

The Ministry of Youth, Gender, Sport and Culture  has submitted manpower estimates for the 2025/26 financial year to the Directorate of Public Service Management (DPSM) to address organisational needs and the progression of officers at all levels.

This was said by Honourable Tumiso Rakgare in response to a question in Parliament on Tuesday.

Minister Rakgare said in addition, government was currently engaging with public sector unions and other stakeholders through DPSM, on a proposal to implement a ‘fan-shaped’ pay structure.

He explained that the structure came with widened ranges and increased notches, which would allow for movement of officers within grades without necessarily being promoted, with hope to address issues relating to stagnation and lack of progression for public officers, including those at the Botswana National Library Service (BNLS).

“I am aware of the general disgruntlement and frustration of BNLS officers who have been at the same salary scale (top notch) for more than five, 10 and 15 years.

However, this is not unique to my ministry, it is common in all government ministries because of the small number of positions owing to the pyramid structure and the limited promotional vacancies within government Ministries, Departments and Agencies,” he said.

He said the BNLS staff was classified into general, artisan, technical and professional cadres with a total number of core mandate staff of 374 personnel.

Also, he indicated that 41 officers at C1 level (technical and professional) had remained at the same scale for a period from zero to five years while 80 had stayed for six to 10 years, 31 for 11-15 years, while those with 16 years plus were five.

At D4 (technical and professional), he said officers who had stayed for a period of zero to five years were 22, those with six to 10 years were seven, while five stayed for 11-15 years with no one having stayed for more than 15 years.

He added that six D3 (technical and professional) had been on the same salary scale for zero to five years, with none staying for more than five years.

Again, he said three officers at the D2 salary scale (professional) had delayed on the same scale for less than five years while only one officer at D1 (professional) had stayed on the same scale for less than four years.

Again, he indicated that under the general cadre, 66 officers (library attendants) held either a Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) or a Junior Certificate (JC), while 52 officers held a BGCSE or O’Level certificate.

Under the artisan cadre, he said 26 officers were either in possession of a Certificate in Library & Information Studies (CLIS) or a Certificate in Archives and Records Management (CARM) while under the professional cadre, 147 officers were either in possession of a Bachelor of Library & Information Studies (BLIS), Bachelor of Archives and Records Management (BARM), or Bachelor of Information and Knowledge Management (BIKM).

On one hand, Minister Rakgare said like anywhere else in government, officers in the C-band cadre were promoted every two years, and their satisfactory performance up to C1 informs their progression.

He added that positions at the D4 salary scale and above, which were limited, were competed for through competency-based interviews, both written and oral.

“It should be noted that positions are limited, so officers are subjected to interviews to determine who is best fit for promotion. It is important to highlight that the officers who appear to have stagnated have all been accorded opportunities to contest with their counterparts for the limited positions at various times as and when vacancies are declared,” he said.

Ghanzi South legislator, Mr Motsamai Motsamai had asked the minister to state if he was aware  that some of Department of National Library Services staff had been in the same salary scale for five, 10 and 15 years.

Mr Motsamai also wanted to know the number of staff who had not been promoted for the past five, 10 and 15 years at C1, D4, D3, D2, D1, among others.

He also asked the minister to state their levels of qualification at certificate, diploma and degree levels as well as reasons for their non-progression. ENDS