Former Botswana Mine Workers Union National Executive Committee members, who were involved in long Court battles with the current NEC led by Jack Tlhagale, will have their properties sold at an auction at the end of this month.
This follows after they failed to repay some money, which runs into hundreds of thousands of pulas, to the Union. They are said to have used the money whilst at the helm of the Union then failed to account for it after they vacated their positions.
In their many court cases, the former NEC members initially contested Tlhagale and former Chairman of the Union, Chimidza Chimidzani’s leadership on grounds that they could not lead the Union as they had been dismissed from work by Debswana, their employer.
The two were allegedly dismissed from work for having strongly supported what was seen as an illegal strike that some employees of Debswana had engaged in.
In all, 461 employees were dismissed from work and the Courts later finally ruled that the company was right in dismissing them from work.
After a long battle, the old NEC lost the case as the Court ruled in Tlhagale and Chimidzani’s favour, saying that they could still lead the Union even when they were not employees of Debswana.
After they left the helm of the Union, the new NEC demanded that the old NEC account for the money they had spent during their leadership of the Union.
When they failed to do so, the new NEC then took the case to the High Court where the Court again ruled in favour of the new NEC, saying the old officials had to account for the money they had spent.
Again, they failed to do so, with some of them being sent to jail on civil imprisonment where they spent over two months.
They were released on caution that they pay the money demanded from them.
Goods to be sold include items such as cars, televisions, freezers and even bed sheets.
The new NEC was represented by Lerumo Mogobe in all its cases.
