Remembering the historic 2011 strike
Oarabile Mosikare | Friday April 29, 2016 13:24
On April 19, 2011 the second day of the strike I joined three union leaders who were assigned the duty of assessing the effect of the strike in the Central and North East District. I got a lift from Botswana Land Boards Local Authorities and Health Workers Union (BLLAWHU) secretary general Ketlhalefile Motshegwa.
On this mission he was accompanied by Botswana Public Employees Union national organising and international relations secretary, Pambana Masame and National Amalgamated Local and Central Government and Parastatal Manual Workers’ Union (NALCGPMWU) deputy chairperson, the late Sammy Sithole [May his revolutionary soul rest in peace].
Our first stop was in the tiny village of Mosetse where we found workers singing under a tree whilst others were playing chess. The three unionists were informed that all was well and the Big Five unions’ message to withdraw labour was being heeded in the village. The union leaders proceeded to encourage them to continue with the struggle and recruit other union members to join them as the strike continued for the next 10 days.
Motshegwa then drove to Dukwi where we learnt that a matron at Dukwi Junior Secondary School had roped in her husband to help her prepare food for students. The union members disclosed that all the kitchen hands at the school had joined the strike. Upon our arrival at the school, we received confirmation that indeed food was being prepared for students and some men and women were busy at work.
This is contrary to the Trade and Dispute Act, which states that an employer cannot replace labour before 14 days of strike action has elapsed. The three leaders decided to pay the school head, one Mma Dambe, a courtesy call. Mma Dambe welcomed all of us in her office and Sithole introduced us before explaining the reasons for our visit.
“We are going around accessing the situation and to find out if you have received the strike rules,” Sithole explained. Mma Dambe was non-committal and would not say yes or no. Instead she said unionists or shop stewards at her school never avail any correspondence to her. Sithole explained that the Directorate of Public Service Management (DPSM) should have availed them to her office.
Thereafter Motshegwa explained the strike rules to the elderly school head. About the replacement of labour at the school kitchen, Mma Dambe explained that she never authorised anyone to replace workers on strike at the kitchen. She tactically refused to confirm if people were hired to replace anyone at the kitchen. All she could say was that she never wrote any correspondence to anyone to replace labour at the kitchen.
After the briefing, which took about 16 minutes, Dambe disclosed that she is a founding member of Botswana Federation of Secondary School Teachers (BOFESETE) a precursor to Botswana Secondary School Teachers Union (BOSETU). After this briefing Motshegwa gave a copy of the strike rules to Dambe.
We then drove to Nata where were arrived at around lunch and found strikers there waiting patiently in hundreds for the three union leaders at the playground. The unionist kept themselves busy by singing and dancing songs mocking top government officials such as Minister Kenneth Matambo, President Ian Khama and the then DPSM director Festinah Bakwena. In Nata, the public media were being battered. “I urge you comrades not to listen to the employer’s propaganda that is broadcast by Botswana Television (Btv). Ignore Btv and continue with your struggle for good living,” Sithole told the audience.
Masame also briefed workers, saying those who betrayed the struggle would be “in for it”. He talked about strike breaking which he explained meant that those who betrayed the struggle would be charged or expelled from the unions.
Motshegwa then asked workers to explain to their comrades who decided to continue working, that they had nothing to lose if they joined their colleagues on strike.
“Since some of the workers are your lovers, get inside the bedroom with them and convince them to join the strike,” he said to a round of applause. We learned that majority of workers at the Land Board had ignored the strike.
We then rushed against time to Sowa Town where the rhetoric was repeated. The union leaders were briefed that some nurses in Sowa had also refused to join the strike. But the numbers of unionists on strike was overwhelming according to those present.
Since it was getting dark it was time to drive back to Francistown. On our way back we passed by Dukwi where we found unionists demonstrating under a tree at a veterinary gate, imploring their colleagues who stayed at work to join the strike.
On our way to Francistown we came upon an accident before Sebina junction. A courier bus had hit a cow and overturned, but luckily no one was seriously injured. We arrived in Francistown around 20:00 hours, very tired after a busy day of travelling.
On Wednesday morning we met again at Chedu Choga ground and decided to continue with assessing the impact of the struggle in Marapong, Sebina and Masunga. Unionists on strike from the tiny villages of Makaleng and Marapong congregated at Marapong a stone throw away from the village kgotla.
The briefings continued like the previous day. The three leaders were told that two nurses out of four at Marapong had withdrawn their labour. Those who remained behind were the head and a foreigner.
I found out that the strikers were busy enjoying themselves singing, dancing and playing volleyball and darts. “It is better to die for a principle rather than die an ordinary death,” Motshegwa said, quoting South African struggle hero, Steve Biko. “People on the ground have to hear an alternative voice which Btv is denying you.”
Our next stop was Sebina at Central Primary School grounds. The rally was well attended but some were said to be busy at work. Here workers from Goshwe, Tutume, Maitengwe and Sebina united in one cause: 16 percent salary adjustment. We learnt that there had been a peaceful demonstration in the morning. The three comrades addressed their colleagues who welcomed them warmly. After the address the multitudes proceeded to peacefully demonstrate around Sebina.
We then drove to the North East District Council headquarters of Masunga. Union members from the neighbouring villages of Sekakangwe and Zwenshambe had joined their Masunga counterparts here. Just like those in Sebina, they had also held peaceful demonstrations. A strike marshal claimed that more than 90 percent of workers were participating in the strike, but I learnt that doctors at Masunga Primary Hospital had reported for duty while some nurses had joined the strike.
The trio of Masame, Sithole and Motshegwa then proceeded to give solidarity messages and went on to dispel “lies spread by Ministers John Seakgosing and Mokgweetsi Masisi with the help of Btv through one Gloria Kgosi”. Masame also informed them they had received solidarity messages from Namibian unions.
After this last address of the day, I could see that fatigue had taken its toll on all of us. There was little talk on our journey back to Benghazi as Francistown was called by union members who congregated at Chedu Choga ground daily. Just like the previous day, calls and messages from across the country were received by the union leaders reporting the success of the strike.