Over the years, concerns have been raised that local companies are not doing enough to appoint Batswana to senior management positions.
There was a time when expatriates occupied almost all management positions in the private sector and even in government.
The salary disparities between local managers and their expatriate counterparts were shameful.
However, over the years, government and organisations like BOCCIM have done very well to ensure that this shameful trend was reversed.
Today, we are proud that young and vibrant sons and daughters of this country, who were trained at immense expense to the nation are now captains of industry who head key industries in the national economy.
Financial institutions are currently leading the pack in localising management positions and Bank of Botswana should be commended for pushing for localisation. In the past, the banks were known to be very averse to any suggestion of a local heading their institutions.
We welcome the recent appointment of Wilfred Mpai as Barclays Bank of Botswana Managing Director, Leina Gabaraane as Managing Director of Stanbic and Lorato Edith Boakgomo-Ntakhwana as Chief Executive Officer of FNBB.
However, there are still concerns that managing directors of local banks are just figureheads who have no real executive powers and just rubber stamp decisions that are made overseas.
While we appreciate that the owners of the industries have to protect their investments, we view the decision to turn local managing directors into robots as a declaration of lack of confidence on their capabilities. It is saddening that well educated and capable men and women, who have a better understanding of the dynamics of the local economy, and whose unparalleled excellence are there for all to see would be made to rubber stamp decisions that are made abroad. There are also a few banks that still resist calls for localisation. We urge government and the Central Bank to take action against those intransigent banks. It is strange that commercial banks, which have a longer presence in Botswana than other industries are failing to localise while young Batswana handle billions as heads of asset management companies.
The mining industry has also been a source of complaints that less qualified foreigners are roped in from outside to take up jobs that would ideally be enjoyed by Batswana.
Chinese construction companies also employ thousands of Chinese citizens while Batswana roam the streets. The explanation given by some that there are not many qualified Batswana is lame.
Why is it that we have brick layers, carpenters and painters walking the streets or languishing at the gates of construction sites when hundreds of Chinese citizens are busy working at the very same sites?
Local supply has to be exhausted first before industries can source expatriate manpower. We should not give out work and residence permits willy-nilly.
Hiring expatriates is a disadvantage not only for Batswana but also for government. Expatriates do not invest in Botswana. They just collect money and leave when their contracts expire. Employed locals pay tax and invest their money in Botswana. They also improve the lives of their families and reduce dependency on government handouts.
Another disturbing trend is that glaring salary disparities between expatriates and locals. This is inexcusable. Botswana has invested millions in training citizens to become engineers and doctors at the best schools in the world. Why then should we let industries pay our own sons and daughters less money just because they are Batswana?
This brings to mind the debacle that unfolded at Botswana Football Association, when it emerged that Major David Bright was paid a paltry P10 000 for coaching our national soccer team, the Zebras, while an expatriate, Colwyn Rowe had raked over P62 000 per month for leading the Zebras to the lowest ever FIFA rankings.
Under Major Bright, the Zebras did fabulously well. The issue emerged again when Bright was asked to coach the Zebras for peanuts. A very confident and self respecting man, he told the BFA to stuff it, and relocated to South Africa where he was paid what he deserved.
Once again, he produced sterling results. This goes to show the mentality that Batswana have towards their own. If we do not stand up for ourselves who will?
Government should demand training and localisation programs from companies.
The tourism industry immediately comes to mind. It has the highest non citizen employment ratio. It is the tourism industry that has over time raised the highest number of complaints about ill treatment of local employees. Ministers Peter Siele and Kitso Mokaila must take stern action and ensure that this unsavory situation is reversed.
Tourism is a key player in our economy, and we must make sure that it remains under the control of locals.
Batswana cannot remain hewers of wood and drawers of water in their own country. Batswana should not be relegated to menial jobs while less qualified expatriates sit on swivel chairs and enjoy exorbitantly high salaries.
We acknowledge that Botswana is a developing economy that still has to do a lot to produce industry specific graduates. We commend the work of the Human Resources Advisory Council.
But in the mean time we will not sit back and let our country be run down by unqualified expatriates while our sons and daughters are turned into second class citizens.
Government should be worried about the recent resignations of young and vibrant Chief Executive Officers from key industries in Botswana. It is difficult to comprehend why Debswana and Botswana Telecommunications Corporation, which were successfully headed by Batswana, have now fallen into the hands of expatriates.
