Online Version

Facebook Feed

  • Killings of journalists up 50% in 2022, half targeted off duty    January 25, 2023
    Eighty-six journalists and media workers were killed around the world in 2022 – one every four days, according to UNESCO data, highlighting the grave risks and vulnerabilities that journalists continue to face in the course of their work.   […]
  • Judge Tau; please don’t stifle public scrutiny of the Court of AppealJanuary 25, 2023
    Her utterances are misplaced and must be condemned with the contempt it deserves ADAM PHETLHE The Patriot on Sunday dated 15 January 2022 carried an article titled ‘Judge Tau defends CoA Integrity’, with sub-headings “Complains of discrediting reckless statements; […]
  • Miss Botswana 2022 is the Face of KGK DiamondsJanuary 19, 2023
    Its been an exciting first week back to her MBW duties and we kick off the year with an official announcement that Our Queen is The face of KGK Diamonds. Lesego Chombo alongside Nigel Amos was the show stopper […]
  • Executives to watch in 2023January 19, 2023
    A year is often too short to demonstrate your worth, yet that’s exactly what the newly appointed Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) have to do to show that they deserve their enviable roles. PATRIOT BUSINESS looks at CEOs who shall […]
  • BLP TEST AP/BCP UNITY TALKSJanuary 19, 2023
    BAKANG TIRO editors@thepatriot.co.bw The new entrant in the cooperation talks between Alliance for Progressives (AP) and Botswana Congress Party (BCP) – Botswana Labour Party (BLP) has thrown spanner in the works by demanding that both AP and BCP yield […]
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Disclaimer
  • Contact Us
  • Login
  • Register
Saturday, January 28, 2023
17 °c
Gaborone
21 ° Tue
22 ° Wed
24 ° Thu
26 ° Fri
The Patriot On Sunday
Advertisement
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Analysis & Opinions
  • Vacancies & Tenders
No Result
View All Result
Cart / $0.00

No products in the cart.

  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Analysis & Opinions
  • Vacancies & Tenders
No Result
View All Result
The Patriot On Sunday
No Result
View All Result
Home News

‘UB union leaders lazy, hopeless’ – VC

patriot by patriot
April 27, 2022
in News
237 15
0
‘UB union leaders lazy, hopeless’ – VC

Prof Marobela and Prof Norrris

491
SHARES
1.4k
VIEWS
ShareShareShare
  • Prof Norris, UBASSSU clash over staff salaries
  • ‘He is gallivanting around the world while UB crumbles’  -Prof Marobela
  • ‘Such misfits don’t add value to UB, and can’t be redeemed’  – Prof Norris

BAKANG TIRO

editors@thepatriot.co.bw

The University of Botswana (UB) senior staff union and Vice Chancellor Professor David Norris, are at loggerheads over demands for salary increment, with the latter dismissing the union leadership as self-centered people who detest being told to work.

For some time now, University of Botswana Academic and Senior Support Staff Union (UBASSSU) and the vice Chancellor have been fighting over staff welfare issues. In an interview, UBASSSU president Professor Motsumi Marobela said Prof Norris instead of addressing staff welfare issues, has turned into a roving tourist flying from Seychelles to Dubai and to Florida, USA.

The outspoken Prof Marobela said such trips are a waste of the university funds. “While he decries lack of funds and fails to pay staff bonuses and inflationary salary adjustments, he is spending big in his trips abroad. Since he was hand-picked to lead the University at a higher salary outside UB pay structure, he has embarked on numerous visits abroad at a huge costs. He is not only paid accommodation and meals on these tours, he personally cashes big time from them. That’s why he continues to motivate travelling. Previous VCs had invested on infrastructure which is enviable to many in Africa and the world. Most of the infrastructure can no longer be maintained with resources in deplorable conditions,” lamented Prof Marobela, adding that teaching and learning equipment have not been serviced or replaced for many years.

Prof Marobela blasted the UB Vice Chancellor, saying he has been given a blank cheque to recklessly waste the funds. “He is not accountable to anyone but to himself because important governance and oversight structures, such as Deputy Vice Chancellors and Council, no longer exist at UB. With the lip service he pays to his reset agenda and the dream for UB to be a leading institution in the knowledge driven economy, Prof Norris has ignored cries to purchase projectors and computers in classrooms and computer laboratories. He has failed to take action on managers and heads of divisions who continue to fail to provide services to academic staff and students. It is a matter of time before the situation explodes at the premier institution because of the deplorable teaching/ learning environment,” fumed Prof Marobela.

Nasty people

In response to the accusations, Prof Norris said he remains unperturbed by the noise that the union is making. “Frankly, I am not going to waste time on people who are clueless about higher education. These are just nasty people who in the first place are adding no value to the university. Their dishonesty is mind boggling,” Prof Norris hit back at UBASSSU leadership.

Prof Norris said the salary adjustment query by the union is an old story, which they escalated to the relevant ministry. According to Prof Norris, the union leadership hates him because he is doing his work and they hate the fact that he is calling for hard work and transformation of UB into an engaged and relevant institution.

“Their hatred towards me is because they tell people behind my back that I am an outsider and I should have never led UB. This is certainly making them act in a bizarre manner. Please ask those guys to give you their CVs and performance reports. You will see nothing,” Prof Norris fired back.

Furthermore, Prof Norris said in the transformation project at UB, change management is part of the whole exercise but unfortunately union leaders will never change and they cannot be redeemed.

All lies

The UBASSSU president also accused Prof Norris of running a one man show, keeping them in the dark, particularly about a recent UB Council meeting which they were never informed about. He said, there has never been any official communication to UB staff about who the new council members are and/ or its Chairperson.

“And more importantly the decisions arising from the said meeting. This is not surprising because under Norris, UB management lacks communication and transparency. UBASSSU has long pushed for resuscitation of Council as its long absence has severely impacted UB business, especially its oversight and governance role. This is a great concern to staff, especially given the ongoing restructuring exercise which management drives without UB Council participation,” decried Prof Marobela, adding that as far as they know, the only council members are staff representatives who were recently elected on the 1st March by staff, reiterating there is no active council until an official communication is made to UB community at large as it is the norm.

Responding to Prof Marobela’s claim that UB has no Council currently, Prof Norris said it is lies. “On the issue of Council, it’s shameful that they are not even aware we have a Council. The Council had a meeting on the 8th April 2022. They even have a representative in this very same Council,” said Professor Norris, dismissing the acussations with contempt.

Related

Get real time update about this post categories directly on your device, subscribe now.

Unsubscribe
  • Killings of journalists up 50% in 2022, half targeted off duty    January 25, 2023
    Eighty-six journalists and media workers were killed around the world in 2022 – one every four days, according to UNESCO data, highlighting the grave risks and vulnerabilities that journalists continue to face in the course of their work.   […]
  • Judge Tau; please don’t stifle public scrutiny of the Court of AppealJanuary 25, 2023
    Her utterances are misplaced and must be condemned with the contempt it deserves ADAM PHETLHE The Patriot on Sunday dated 15 January 2022 carried an article titled ‘Judge Tau defends CoA Integrity’, with sub-headings “Complains of discrediting reckless statements; […]
  • Miss Botswana 2022 is the Face of KGK DiamondsJanuary 19, 2023
    Its been an exciting first week back to her MBW duties and we kick off the year with an official announcement that Our Queen is The face of KGK Diamonds. Lesego Chombo alongside Nigel Amos was the show stopper […]
  • Executives to watch in 2023January 19, 2023
    A year is often too short to demonstrate your worth, yet that’s exactly what the newly appointed Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) have to do to show that they deserve their enviable roles. PATRIOT BUSINESS looks at CEOs who shall […]
  • BLP TEST AP/BCP UNITY TALKSJanuary 19, 2023
    BAKANG TIRO editors@thepatriot.co.bw The new entrant in the cooperation talks between Alliance for Progressives (AP) and Botswana Congress Party (BCP) – Botswana Labour Party (BLP) has thrown spanner in the works by demanding that both AP and BCP yield […]
The Patriot On Sunday

© 2022 Copyright The Patriot On Sunday - Inspired by Search Mart.

Navigate Site

  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Disclaimer
  • Contact Us

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Cart
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Analysis & Opinions
  • Vacancies & Tenders

© 2022 Copyright The Patriot On Sunday - Inspired by Search Mart.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?