BOFEPUSU says its worsening relationship with President Duma Boko stems from unfulfilled election promises and Government’s alleged resistance to union scrutiny.
SESUPO RANTSIMAKO
The increasingly acrimonious relationship between President Duma Boko and organised labour is being blamed on what BOFEPUSU secretary general Robert Rabasimane describes as the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) Government’s failure to deliver on election promises and its alleged reluctance to be held accountable by trade unions.
Broken Promises
Rabasimane told The Botswana Gazette that while the UDC initially presented itself as committed to ordinary people and public servants, the Government had since shifted course and aligned itself with capitalists, leaving many promises unfulfilled.
He said the central concern was Government’s alleged unwillingness to accept scrutiny from organised labour, accusing Boko of attacking unions when they raise questions about Government performance.
Rabasimane said increasingly political-sounding union responses should not be interpreted as partisan politics but as reactions to decisions and outcomes produced by political leadership.
“What we talk about is the end product of politics,” he said, calling on Boko to account for Government decisions rather than attack those demanding answers.
School Clash
The latest escalation followed Boko’s response over the weekend to Manual Workers Union leaders Johnson Motshwarakgole and Rabasimane after they criticised the recently opened Duma Boko School in Gaborone.
The union leaders questioned the durability of the school’s construction materials and described the structures as boxes.
Officially opening the school, Boko said he had deliberately not informed the union leaders about the project because he wanted to shield it from what he described as their negativity.
He described the suggestion that the school was built from boxes as “insane” and “pathological stupidity”, while defending the construction materials as part of a changing world.
Tensions Deepen
The exchange follows earlier tensions, including Labour Day commemorations in Letlhakane, where Boko appeared to take aim at the labour movement while discussing Botswana’s economic challenges.
In his latest remarks, Boko said there was significant work to be done to “train, purge and purify” people of what he described as ingrained negativity and, at times, wickedness.
Rabasimane insists organised labour is not seeking a political confrontation with Government but is scrutinising the outcomes of political decisions and demanding accountability.
UDC Pushback
UDC spokesperson Dr Patrick Molutsi blamed the rift on a few union individuals whom he accused of specifically targeting the UDC Government and President Boko.
He said the individuals had declared their fight against the UDC at the Botswana Congress Party conference earlier this year and accused the union leaders of being involved in politics.
Molutsi warned that their conduct could damage unionism by diluting it with politics. “If they don’t want to play politics, they know the right platform to raise their concerns,” he said.
He maintained that the UDC was labour-friendly. “We are a labour-friendly government and we treat unionism with high regard; therefore, there is no way we could be against it because most of the ministers and MPs have built unions and supported them before,” Molutsi said.