Mmegi Online has recently reported that Dr. Kolaatamo Malefho has been dismissed from the Sir Ketumile Masire Memorial Hospital. According to the reports by Mmegi, Dr. Malefho was dismissed in the beginning on November.
Though some reasons were given for the early dismissal, the local prominent lawyer, Kgosietsile Ngakaagae says the reasons for Dr. Malefho’s dismissal were nothing but political.
“Dr. Malefo, has been fired from Sir Ketumile Masire Teaching Hospital, simply because he is BPF. And he was dismissed cruelly, with immediate effect. The reasons are patently bogus. In fact the same are absolute hogwash. I was a patient at SKMH for nearly a month. There are foreign doctors there. Yet, its a Motswana who gets fired because the hospital doesnt need doctors anymore. Ba re COVID e fedile [they are saying COVID is finished], or something to that effect. Just imagine a government hospital in Botswana, claiming to be overstaffed with doctors. And they fire only one man, eminently qualified and more experienced than most that remain. I mean……really? A political directive was surely made for his termination. We cant progress like this, people. You cant have people losing jobs, simply because they belong to an opposition party, or hold different political view. This is wrong. Later we would get crucified for our views.” Ngakaagae charged.
According to the reports, Malefho’s employment contract with the hospital was set to expire on March 31, 2022. To the doctor’s shock, he would receive a call from the Human Resource Department informing him to come collect his letter of dismissal.
“It is true. I was called by the human resource officer on Thursday to come and get my dismissal letter. According to the officer, COVID-19 is now over and therefore they do not need more medical doctors anymore. “To my shock, they could at least have informed me about the intention because I was working the night shift on Wednesday. At the moment I will be concentrating on my life because I was not expecting this kind of sacking,” Malefho said, as quoted by Mmegi Online.
