Call for review of BOCCIM’s constitution

A report by a Special Committee of the Botswana Confederation of Commerce, Industry and Manpower (BOCCIM) has found that several factors have led to the recent crisis at BOCCIM.
The report recommended that the BOCCIM constitution needs urgent review including amendments to address inadequacies which have differences resulting from selective interpretation and implementation.
Chaired by Dennis Alexander, the report focused on BOCCIM constitution, BOCCIM, President, CEO, Council and general membership of the organization.  
Reading the report at the BOCCIM AGM before the elections on Thursday, Alexander pointed out that “Certain articles of the constitution are contradictory and conflicting and there are a lot off gaps which might have led to the current undesirable situation in the organization,” he said.
Alexander also pointed out that the then BOCCIM President Alex Monchusi played a major role in the current sorry state of affairs in the organization. He added that while Monchusi is eminently qualified to lead BOCCIM, his style of leadership is not conducive to good relations and peace.
“He is considered to always have a flagrant disregard for the Constitution and to be one, not to take heed of any advice he is given,” he said.
The report also found that Monchusi’s inability to resolve the differences between himself and the CEO Maria Machailo-Ellis professionally and the resultant lobbying of members of council for support inevitably caused factions within council.
The committee also found that Machailo-Ellis is another major player in the current state of affairs at BOCCIM.
“The CEO has evidently dismally failed to give guidance, with the consequence that the constitution was systematically violated at both the Finance and Management Committee and council levels,” reads the report.
The committee also found that there had generally been several lapses in the execution of her responsibilities and duties as CEO and adding that in certain instances she showed lack of professionalism which could be viewed as insubordination and disrespect for authority.
“Just like the president, the CEO also showed immaturity and lack of wisdom befitting the position of the CEO , when she also made what are essentially internal matters public by taking them to the media,” reads the report.
Furthermore, the Committee found that the BOCCIM council and its Finance and Management Committee (FAMCO) have on several occasions acted in disregard of the provisions of the constitution.
The committee also found that disagreements at both FAMCO and the council were often difficult to resolve due to the fact that there would be no objectivity as a results of lack of reference to the constitution.
“The consequence of this is that the council failed to act timeously and rationally to resolve the squabble between the president and CEO,” said Alexander.
The report shows that some members took sides and formed factions without regard to the potentially negative impact on the organization.
On the general membership the Investigations Special Committee report indicate that because of a general lack of understanding and appreciation of the constitution by the members , they failed to timeously exercise their rights under the constitution and take appropriate action to curb and limit the damage to the credibility and image of the organization.