“In addition, confusion arises when it comes to party politics and the role of civic groups like BFTU. It is often asked whether it is in the public good for such bodies to get actively involved in party politics.
It is therefore important for BFTU to clarify and outline its position on such a crucial issue,” the federation says in a recent position paper.
The BFTU said it believes in political pluralism, good governance and stakeholder participation in policy formulation, implementation and evaluation.
“The concept of good governance should not only be restricted to political governance, but should extend to economic and corporate governance.
It is only through a participatory, transparent and accountable form of governance that the interest of working people can be promoted in a sustainable way,” the labour organisation said.
In his foreword to the paper, BFTU president Ronald Baipidi says democracy will never be meaningful if workers are expected to cast their votes and then withdraw from the process for the following five years.
“There is also something fundamentally flawed about a system of governance, based upon the first past the post principle, in which the victor gets all the spoils, but in which all other than hard core party supporters and in fact almost half of the population at any given time feel alienated from participating in what is taking place around them.
“I firmly believe that Botswana’s future rests on the fullest participatory democracy that we can engender among all sectors, classes and creeds in this society, and that without this, economic and social progress will not be lasting,” he says.
The BFTU feels that it could best represent the interests of the working people by leaving party politics to individuals.
“In this regard, the BFTU will not explicitly support any particular party, but will encourage political parties to adopt pro-labour positions. It will, therefore, work closely with the government of the day and will advocate for the implementation of polices that promote the interests of the working people,” the paper states.
BFTU says it encourages the adoption of decentralisation and a bottom-up development strategy that allows for local participation in decision-making processes.
“This is in line with the African Charter for Popular Participation in Development and Transformation signed in Arusha, Tanzania in 1990 by African governments, Botswana included. To ensure that people are empowered for effective broad based participation, the government should undertake public education on political, social and economic issues affecting the people. This could be done through political and economic education,” the organisation says.
The BFTU feels the civil society should engage in civic education so as to develop a conscientious populace that can actively participate in the affairs of the national at all levels. It says ethics, equity, inclusion, human security and sustainability are some of the principles that must be upheld to promote good governance.
According to BFTU, civil society is generally weak, and yet it is being called upon to play an increasingly bigger role in the affairs of the country.
“Democracy, transparency and accountable governance can only be fulfilled where a vibrant and informed civil society exists,” the paper says.
To promote a truly development strategy that is all inclusive, BFTU recommends the establishment of an institutional framework for consultations and stakeholders’ participation in policy making and implementation processes.
The BFTU paper says all pluralistic societies consider freedom of association and organisation as a basic human right and organised labour is often in the vanguard of the movement towards greater political openness and democracy.
However, the labour organisation claims that many countries, including Botswana, still restrict trade union activities.
“Although Botswana has ratified Convention 87 of the ILO guaranteeing freedom of association and organisation, its full application has proved elusive. Botswana denies workers the right to organise outside officially recognised and controlled structures,” the federation says.
