Face the music

COURT TELLS EMPLOYEES OF BERA ACCUSED OF FRAUD

Three of the four suspended Botswana Energy Regulatory Authority (BERA) employees have lost their cases to interdict the disciplinary hearing they are facing for alleged fraud.

The three, Nthabiseng Nyepetsi, Tshegofatso Keitumetse and Tshepang Sebogodi had in an urgent application argued that the disciplinary hearing should be interdicted because the CEO, Rose Seretse’s inclusion as a witness at the hearing rendered the whole hearing unfair and ought therefore to be interdicted.

The fourth suspended employee who is boss of the three, Chief Financial Officer, Chawada Machacha was yet to have her case heard in court at the time of going to press.

Machacha who was at one point known as Machacha- Kebonang as she was married to Judge Kebonang faces three offences and eight counts.

According to her notice of disciplinary enquiry; amongst other charges she faces willful disobedience of lawful and or reasonable orders given by the employer, which includes amongst other charges (counts) that on or about 28th March 2019 Machacha was instructed by the CEO, Seretse to halt the procurement of office furniture for the new offices of the board of directors.

In another charge, Machacha is accused of setting, “In motion events that caused to unlawfully pay from the authority’s finances for one Dr. Zein Kebonang for medical aid contribution at BOMAID under the false pretext that he was your lawful dependent as a spouse, when you knew such to be false.”

Machacha and her entire department were expected to appear for disciplinary proceedings on January 29, but delayed the proccess by approaching the Industrial court for an interdict.

Dismissing their cases, the industrial court instructed the three agrieved employees to submit to the discipline of their employer.

Seretse said she was constrained to comment on a matter that was before court.

Machacha too preferred to keep mum while her brother- in law, former minister of Minerals and Energy, Sadique Kebonang this week spilled the beans on the rot and corruption engulfing the embattled BERA alleging that the CEO, was using privilege and secret ministerial declarations to witch-hunt certain staff members.