Dramatis personae of the Mother of All Strikes
Oarabile Mosikare | Friday April 29, 2016 13:36
Johnson Motshwarakgole
The success of the strike can be attributed to Motshwarakgole, BOFEPUSU labour secretary. He gave the strike political direction. Motshwarakgole, an experienced trade unionist, is someone who wields much power and is often listened to.
He was influential in the strategic planning of the strike and provided wise counsel to the likes of Tobokani Rari and Ketlhalefile Motshegwa who were still wet behind their ears in terms of trade unionism. Motshwarakgole with his militancy and good oratory skills was able to deal with the government’s often intimidating and intensive public relations exercise.
Some are of the view that under his influence during strike, the federation members became political players and still they are. Some pundits even believe the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP)’s poor performance at the 2014 general elections was a result of high political awareness of civil servants. During the strike, BOFEPUSU made it clear that it will lobby its members not to vote the ruling BDP.
Motshwarakgole wields so much power that he was able to influence workers to stop the strike although some critics felt that government had bought him together with BOFEPUSU president Masego Mogwera.
Andrew Motsamai
Motsamai who was the secretary general at the time of the strike played a critical role in the administrative marshalling of the strike. By then BOFEPUSU was still a relatively new body and was not that wealthy. It was also the first time that the country’s trade unions had engaged in a prolonged strike. He was able to bring the workers together to rally behind the strike as well as frequently attending court proceedings against the government. Motsamai also became a regular feature in the private media as he sought to diffuse the government’s intensive public relations exercise.
Ian Khama
While BOFEPUSU leaders were busy with incessant demonstrations, President Ian Khama engaged in a countrywide public relations exercise. During his trips that mainly targeted rural areas, Khama described workers’ demands as unreasonable based on the prevailing economic conditions.
Although he prevailed, as there was no increment, many believe that Khama’s perceived bad attitude towards workers defined the relationship between government and trade unions going forward. Since the 2011 strike, the relationship between trade unions and government has reached an all time low.
Mokgweetsi Masisi
The country’s current Vice President Mokgweetsi Masisi who was then serving as the Minister of Presidential Affairs and Public Administration was one of Khama’s messengers. He was often in the limelight both in the media and public gatherings protecting Khama and the government.
During the strike, Masisi used every opportunity he got to dismiss the workers’ demands as unreasonable. Masisi’s hard-line stance towards the workers made him their number one enemy. Even today, Masisi who pundits believe rose to political prominence during the civil servants strike is still not highly revered by the public sector workers. They consider him to be their enemy.
Justice Tebogo Maruping
A few days after the strike, Maruping made a provisional court order declaring that it was illegal for essential services workers to strike. The order would later be made final. Maruping’s ruling heightened the already strained relationship between government and BOFEPUSU. The federation dismissed the judgement saying that the strike was a matter of labour not morals.
“An employee is allowed to withdraw his or her services to bargain for a better wage. Doctors, nurses and all the health workers thus far have a right to strike,” Goretetse Kekgonegile who was then the federation’s spokesperson said in reaction to Maruping’s judgment. Government later dismissed essential services workers who did not want to heed calls to return to work.