Some disgruntled employees of the Botswana Meat Commission have reported the acting chief executive officer (CEO) to the office of the President accusing her of abuse of office and failure to manage the commercial transactions of the BMC.
In a damning letter, which was authored by some employees, addressed to the Minister of Agriculture, Permanent Secretary to the President, the BMC Board Chairman and the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) against others accuse the Acting CEO Dr Boitumelo Mogome-Maseko of running a one show organization without taking any advise from Ms Dimpho Mpulubusi (Financial Controller) Ruth Makati (Executive Manager Human Capital) and Lulamane Letshola(BMC legal Counsel/Board Secretary).
The damning letter also forms part of a founding affidavit which is before the industrial Court where one of the employees Ruth Makati interdicted her suspension.
Makati is represented by Dineo Makati-Mpho and has won her first round of the court case before the industrial Court but a month later after the court interdicted her suspension, the Acting CEO fired her from work and is currently battling her dismissal.
The employees accuse the acting CEO of claiming to be closer to President Mokgweetsi Masisi and allegedly using the President’s name to threaten them from questioning her leadership style.
“The BMC is a bleeding organization under the autocratic and unreasonable management of the current Acting CEO who trampled underfoot a lot of people at BMC with whom have already left the organization.” reads part of the letter
The employees accuse the acting CEO of unceremonious suspensions, terminating employees contract who were holding key positions who advised her that the BMC is not financially sustainable going forward.
’’People are now working under great fear because no one can tell what will happean at the end of the contract and she awaits until the last day to inform you despite endless follow ups of her by Human Capital consultation with line managers supervising the affected employees,’’ said an insider
In an affidavit before court, Ditsapelo Makati detailed chronology of events on why the acting CEO wanted to milk BMC for her own good and not for the benefit of the nation.
Makati together with some employees were sacked by BMC but Makati approached Court challenging the CEO’s actions and the court then ruled in her favour.
In her founding affidavit, Makati revealed that she once sent an email to the Acting CEO to explain for the missing of the P220 000.00 financial supports to union (Botswana Meat Industry Workers Union) by BMC and she didn’t respond.
She also said that she once advised the Acting CEO to attain a flat amount of P4, 000.00 per month for a CEO food so she be at liberty on how to use it, but she objected citing that her expenses were in fact lower compared to former CEOs. But this was not true as i shared with her evidence to the contrary.
’’My office investigated all what we believed was wrong and at some stage we found that indeed the P220 000;00 was indeed a loan given by the Acting CEO acting directly with Finance and with absolutely no involvement of the Human Capital Function(HCF), yet this matter falls directly within the HCF and as my supervisor she never spoke to me’’ said Makati
Makati said the Acting CEO despised the advice given by these experts in fields of operations, human capital, Finance and legal advice which she consistently turned down as it challenged her tendency to abuse office and BMC resources.
Documents seen by The Sunday Standard, shows that the four employees were influential in the BMC turnaround strategy and were seen as key players in turning around the BMC into a profitable entity but the CEO did not like their advice and sacked them.
When delivering judgment on the matter for interdiction on disciplinary hearing against Makati, Judge Ruhukya said the Acting CEO has waited too long in terms of the findings of the court which leads to the conclusions that the respondent (BMC) is deemed to have waived any right to institute disciplinary proceedings against Makati and are interdicted from carrying out any disciplinary hearing as originally scheduled for 11 June 2019.
This delay of seven months as it was is an infringement on the applicant (Makati) clear right to expect to have disciplinary process speedily and promptly.
It is ordered that Makati’s suspension is hereby set aside and allowed to resume her duty fully.
In a letter dated 18 December 2019,two months after Industrial Court Judgement which was in favour of Makati, BMC Acting CEO fired Makati from her job.
Her Lawyer Makati-Mpho said they are currently challenging her termination before Court.
