Right to employment should be constitutional – BOFEPUSU
Chakalisa Dube | Monday August 1, 2022 06:00
This was said by the federation’s secretary-general, Tobokani Rari in an interview this week.
The union is next week expected to submit its proposal to the constitutional review committee appointed by President Mokgweetsi Masisi.
Rari and other members of the executive have been doing consultations around the country to solicit views to guide the federation’s submissions to the constitutional review committee. The committee’s overall findings will guide the amendments of the country’s Constitution.
He emphasised that the federation’s membership assumes in their favour that it is the responsibility of the government to create employment opportunities for citizens.
He further explained that advanced nations have made the right to employment part of their respective constitutions.
“In those countries, if the government is unable to create employment or employment opportunities it is held accountable,” he explained, adding that the federation also want a Constitution that will enable citizens to hold the government to answerable for failing to provide basic needs such as health, education, and shelter.
“At the moment you can’t take the government to court for failing to provide those (health, employment and shelter),” he said.
According to Rari, members of the federation also gave the leadership directions on how the Constitution can be revamped to guard against the erosion of democracy in the country.
Rari also said the right to strike should be enshrined in the country’s constitution. “Throughout consultations it is clear that our members want the right to strike and withdraw labour to be enshrined in the Constitution. They believe that employers have too much power. If power is not balanced employers will continue doing as they please,” Rari said.
“We however appreciate that the Constitution does give individuals the right to association,” he added.
As part of their recommendations BOFEPUSU members want a Constitution that will prevent Members of Parliament (MPs) from being appointed ministers.
Rari stated that said that appointing elected MPs to Cabinet weakens or compromise Parliament. “We do not want to see a situation where the Executive will become too powerful,” he said.
The federation also wants the manner in which the Judiciary is appointed to change. Rari posited that currently the President plays a leading role in the appointment of judges, something that to some extent does not give them autonomy when they execute their duties.
“Some judges are thought to be Executive minded because the President plays a very influential role in their appointment. The impression is that they do not want to bite the hand that feeds them.”
The union firebrand explained that if more stakeholders such as leaders in the National Assembly are allowed to be part of the process of selecting judges the move will help counter growing wrong perception against the Judiciary.
“We want a process whereby Parliament will be part of those tasked with picking and interviewing judges like in other countries such as South Africa,” Rari said.
Meanwhile, Rari said although BOFEPUSU’s consultations on the constitutional review process is expected to be completed in September the federation is ready to make its submissions next week (to a committee appointed by the president).
He pointed out that union leaders gathered enough information to make sound submissions to the president’s constitutional review committee.
“We do not want to miss out because we have been invited (by the constitutional review committee) to make written submissions next week. We will propose to the committee we also make oral submissions at a later stage to back what we have written.”