BOFEPUSU once more offer solidarity and message of encouragement to workers at University of Botswana against recent media attacks and insults by the Vice Chancellor of UB-Professor David Norris, where he labelled UBASSSU leadership as per Botswana Guardian as lower in thinking than his 10-year-old boy and went further in an interview in the Sunday Patriot labelling them as lazy misfits who cannot be redeemed. The attacks by Norris on UBASSSU leadership and UB staff are meant to portray them in bad and negative light both in the eyes of the public and students.
To Norris, the only sin by the leadership of UBASSSU is to relentlessly fight and advocate for UB workers rights and better conditions of work which have deteriorated since his improper appointment.
Unlike others who applied for their jobs at UB and went through the interview panels, Norris didn’t apply and was simply handpicked by the President, thus his mental state of entitlement is degenerating into autocratic leadership. It is actually him who is a misfit at UB because he is an animal scientist, and the institution doesn’t even provide such study programmes.
As the Federation, we pay homage to UBASSSU for achieved milestones for workers, such as the recent PMS payout to employees, which was owed by management since 2018. We note that they have also taken UB to the Industrial Court for failing to pay workers outstanding inflationary salary adjustments since 2016. We call upon his supervisors, the Minister of Tertiary and Skills Development, the Council, and the Chancellor to exercise their fiduciary duties and reign Norris to order before he drags the good name of the university of Botswana into the mud.
Ketlhalefile Motshegwa
BOFEPUSU Secretariat