Africa-Press – Botswana. Acting Minister of Lands and Agriculture, Dr Edwin Dikoloti says the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) no longer has hourly-paid employees.
He said after consultations through workers unions and bargaining units in August 2024, BMC converted 456 employees into salaried and increased their salaries from P1 595 to P2 800 per month.
Dr Dikoloti revealed that in January 2025, BMC acceded to former hourly paid employees and increased their salaries by 12 percent, taking their monthly salary to P3 300 as minimum wage. He said as a matter of equity and parity, positions within the employees of the BMC follow normal organisational resourcing and principles.
Dr Dikoloti said that some of the benefits introduced through revision of condition of service since August 2024 include, free medical aid scheme, funeral assistance for both spouse and dependents and free meals.
Furthermore, the acting minister said the separation of canteens was not intended to marginalise but was necessitated by strict compliance to food safety requirements. He revealed that the position of the welfare officer was filled with a competent officer after a thorough and competitive recruitment process that was procedural.
Dr Dikoloti said that there was no condemned meat at BMC while the one on the chillers was intended to produce canned steak to fulfill the framework contract for the primary school feeding programme with the Ministry of Local Government and Traditional Affairs.
He said in instances where cattle were downgraded and not fit for human consumption, the commission has an approved disposal mechanism that was stipulated both statutorily and forms a strict regulatory perspective.
Dr Dikoloti was answering a question from Lobatse MP Mr Kamal Jacobs who had wanted an update on the BMC current practices, pay disparity between hourly paid employees and full time staff. He also wanted to know what was being done to address concerns raised and why condemned meat remain in the BMC chillers.
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