Botswana Post rationalisation exercise to cut down the number of employees and modernise the institution is not going smoothly.
After the first back of letters were delivered last week, insiders started to raise allegations of cronyism and sleaze.
This was after it emerged that some employees who had been recommended for retention by their immediate bosses have been written retrenchment letters by senior management.
Further allegations are that a number of junior female employees recommended for retrenchment by their Heads of Department have unduly retained their jobs in return for sexual favours.
But responding to The Telegraph enquiries, Botswana Post Head of Communications, Lebogang Bok, said the management was not aware of allegations relating to sleaze and cronyism.
“Management is not aware of such allegations. We would like it noted that the staff rationalisation process as agreed by both management and staff is being undertaken under a set and transparent criteria, which has provision for raising grievances,” said Bok.
According to Bok, the staff rationalisation process has been and is still transparent for any member of staff to raise concerns or bring to the attention of management any observations that have the potential to compromise the credibility of the process.
“Currently management is not aware of acts of favouritism, as such allegations have not been brought forward. All relevant stakeholders were consulted on the staff rationalisation project before commencement, and it was approved by the Board of Botswana Post,” she said.
All internal stakeholders, Bok said, which include staff and the Union, have also been consulted on the process. The Union in particular has been actively participating in the rationalisation process.
“The process is still ongoing with feedback on applications for voluntary separation and available positions currently on-going,” she said.
Bok was not in a position to state the number of employees likely to be affected by the rationalisation exercise, saying the consultations are still ongoing.
“I can’t give you the accurate number now because we are still consulting and receiving feedback from employees,” she said.
It is understood that the management is receiving feedback from employees in the form of one on one interview in an effort to extract information from some employees who could be familiar with allegations of sleaze and cronyism.
For his part, Botswana Post Union Chairperson, Boitumelo Motshwari, said he was not in a position to comment on the rationalisation exercise and allegations raised by this publication.
“There are a number of issues that we have to discuss with the management and we will have concrete (information) after our Tuesday meeting with the management,” he said.
