Sunday, February 9, 2025

BPL settles dispute with former employee out of court

BY DUNCAN KGANGKENNA

The Botswana Premier League (BPL) has ended its protracted dispute with its former employee over outstanding allowances accrued to him following unlawful suspension a little over two years ago by settling out of court.

BPL former accounts manager Bosenogile Mpiwa was suspended in December 2016 on allegations of misappropriation of funds. He was owed around P80 000.

Contacted for comment, BFA spokesperson Tumo Mpatane said: “Let it be known that Mpiwa was not fired. His contract came to an end and was not renewed.  We had a case regarding his outstanding allowances. We have since arrived at a mutual out of court settlement. We cannot disclose further information regarding the terms of the settlement”

It was not possible to obtain a comment from Mpiwa regarding the said out of court settlement.

The court has given the troubled elite league until 29th March 2019 to have made a proposal on how it was going to settle the debt.

At the time of the suspension, Mpiwa’s contract of employment with BPL was to expire after 11 months.  He approached the industrial court for redress relating to his suspension where the court found that he was unlawfully suspended.

Mpiwa was expected to go back to work but was reluctant to the resume his employment until the end of his contract at the end of September 2017.   

While on suspension Mpiwa was only paid salaries for nine months without allowances. The court found that because allowances were part of his contract BPL was obliged to pay him.

The BPL misconstrued that since Mpiwa was on suspension he automatically forfeited his allowances as they regarded such as a privilege.

When his contract came to an end in September 2017 the BPL only paid him terminal benefits only disregarding allowances.

RELATED STORIES

Read this week's paper