05 Dec 2024

Minister of Communications and Innovation, Mr David Tshere is aware that 200 Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC) employees were retrenched following a restructuring exercise that was carried out in 2022.

Answering a question in Parliament on Tuesday, the minister said the exercise was conducted in accordance with the labour laws of Botswana, in particular Employment Act, Cap 47:01.

He highlighted that BTC was now a public limited company listed on the Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE), owned 54 per cent by government and the remaining shares held by the minority shareholders.

“This was preceded by the repealing of the BTC Act in 2012, hence now it operates under the Companies Act. The listing meant that it brought in other shareholders including 42 000 individual citizens, while its operating structure is therefore ‘a for profit’ company which in its course of duty will make decisions to adjust its business model such that it creates value for its shareholders,” Minister Tshere explained.

As a public listed company, the minister said, BTC was regulated by provisions of the Botswana Companies Act and Equity Listings Requirements of the BSE, which governed how these entities behaved with respect to its operations, shareholders and stakeholders.

However, because the restructuring matter was before the courts of law at the instance of Botswana Telecommunications Employees Union and the affected employees, the minister said he was curtailed to comment further on the same as the matter was sub-judice.

Mr Tshere was responding to a question by Tlokweng MP, Mr Phenyo Segokgo who had asked if the minister was aware that 200 BTC employees were unfairly dismissed in December 2022 and if he was aware that some had worked for as long as 35 years but were only given severance packages of P40 000.

The minister was also asked if there were any plans to resolve the matter amicably, including recalling the cases from the courts.

Mr Segokgo further  wanted to know and if there were any plans to reinstate them in future. Ends