11 Feb 2025

 The Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs has successfully facilitated payment of over P19 million to former Batswana miners who worked in South African mines.

This was disclosed by the minister, Maj. Gen. Pius Mokgware during the Mmualebe National Listening Tour programme on Botswana Television on Friday, emphasising government’s role in assisting ex-miners to secure their long-awaited financial settlements.

Minister Mokgware elaborated that a total of 179 ex-miners have received their dues thus far, with close to 500 still awaiting medical examinations to qualify for assistance.

The minister also praised the efforts of his government, which had secured the payments for former miners in a short period. Therefore, Maj. Gen. Mokgware urged those who had not yet received their dues or relatives of deceased miners to reach out to his ministry for assistance.

He further announced that his ministry had passed legislation barring foreign nationals from obtaining work permits to teach in Botswana except for specific qualifications which might be needed for teaching and were not available locally.

The move, he said, were part of government’s wider effort to tackle unemployment and prioritise job opportunities for citizens. Similarly, work permits for heavy duty drivers are no longer being issued due to the availability of skilled local Batswana drivers.

Maj. Gen. Mokgware underlined that the ministry’s efforts were focused on creating job opportunities for citizens and boosting the local economy.

Further, the Minister announced that the ministry was in the process of reviewing various other sectors to develop legislation that would prioritise job opportunities for Batswana.

In addition to enacting the changes to the teaching and heavy duty driving sectors, he shared that they were also looking into overhauling the internship programme to ensure that interns were provided with permanent employment upon completion of the programme. Furthermore, they aim to extend the initiative to the private sector.

The minister’s presentation drew various reactions from citizens, who proposed additional initiatives to further enhance the ministry’s service delivery.

Many expressed frustrations at unfair labour practices in the private sector, particularly with regards to some employers’ reluctance to allow unionisation. Some also suggested reducing the frequency of national identity card renewals for convenience.

Notably, several citizens praised the minister’s efforts in protecting job opportunities for Batswana, which they believe will significantly reduce unemployment.

However, an issue that seemed to resonate with many in the audience was the new government’s campaign promise to increase social benefit allowances such as old-age pension and student allowances.

Maj. Gen. Mokgware assured the public that the UDC government remained committed to fulfilling all campaign promises, emphasising that some required legislative amendments which would be addressed in upcoming Parliament sessions.

He also underscored that no employee should be prevented from unionising, highlighting the importance of fair labour practices.

Minister Mokgware further explained that the ministry’s role extends beyond labour issues, covering all aspects of human life, including births, marriages, deaths and national registration. ENDS