The family of Bokang Tlhako, who died on 17 January 2011, says it has been more than a year since the death of their daughter but they have never received her benefits.
The family claims Kgolagano College, its former principal Rev. Hambira in particular, has been playing truant with them over Tlhako’s benefits until Hambira left the college.
Hambira ceased to be principal in February this year.
It was not until Friday that Tlhako’s mother, Mary, learnt with both shock and anger from the Sunday Standard that her daughter’s insurance settlement had, in fact, been paid out to Kgolagano College in March last year ÔÇô more than a year since her death.
“I didn’t know that my daughter’s benefits had long been paid. The last time I went to Kgolagano early this year to find out what is happening regarding my daughter’s benefits, I was told that Rev. Hambira had since left the college. ┬áHambira last year told me they would sort me out before Christmas [2011] now he has left the college,” Mary said.
She has since given the board of the college an ultimatum of seven days to pay her child’s benefits, failure of which she says she is more than ready to take the matter to the next level or engaging a lawyer.
Hambira, who is a nominated councillor in the Gaborone City Council, confirmed he had left the college but did not say what happened to Bokang’s┬áP144 000.
“I’m no longer the principal. This matter does not relate to me as an individual. It relates to the institution,” Hambira said before he referred the Sunday Standard to the college acting principal. ┬á
The acting principal, a certain Ms Thapedi, was said to be away in South Africa on college business while the deputy principal, Maqebo Thapedi, through a receptionist, said we must wait for the principal.
Efforts to reach Kgolagano Board chairperson, Mpho Moruakgomo, were futile by the time of going to press.
“AON Botswana insurance company issued two cheques of P142, 176 and of P2┬á000.00 to Kgolagano copies of which the Sunday Standard is in possession of, including a copy of a letter from AON Botswana (Pty) Ltd which stipulates that the cheques wrote out to the college were ┬á“settlement in respect of the late Bonang [sic.] Tlhako” with another payout being trauma benefit settlement.
Virginiah Gabankile, of the Employee Benefit Division at AON, said the reason that the cheques were made out to Kgolagano and not any of Bokang’s next of kin was because the insurance company had a contract with the college.
As Tlhako’s benefits, Botswana Life Insurance Limited issued two Barclays Bank cheques (numbers┬á 920037 and 020015) to Kgolagano College on 3 March 2011.
