Gov't, unions must find common ground

Mmegi Editor | Monday August 17, 2026 06:00

The situation is exacerbated by the ruling party’s admission that some of its most important election promises remain unfulfilled. This is not the change many Batswana had expected. The UDC was elected into power on a strong promise to improve lives, create jobs, protect workers and repair public services. It is therefore, not enough for the party to point only to new ministries, policies and long-term plans. These may be necessary, but ordinary people judge a government by what they experience each day like getting medications at clinics, jobs for young people, faster public services and wages that can meet the rising cost of living. The admission by UDC executive secretary, Dr Patrick Molutsi that job creation has not been achieved and drugs supply remains a serious challenge must be taken seriously. It is better for a government to admit its shortcomings than to pretend all is well.

However, honesty must be followed by urgent and visible action. Economic difficulties are real, but they cannot become a permanent answer to every broken promise. The UDC must now explain clearly which promises can still be delivered, when they will be delivered and how they will be funded. Where circumstances have changed, the Duma Boko-led organisation should tell the nation openly. Trust is built through truthfulness, realistic targets and measurable progress, not slogans. The reforms cited by Molutsi, including efforts to strengthen Parliament, reorganise ministries and expand student financing, are welcome. Yet reforms must eventually produce better services and opportunities.

Otherwise, they will remain impressive announcements that offer little comfort to struggling households. Trade unions are right to defend workers and hold the government accountable. Their anger over failed salary negotiations is understandable, especially when families are struggling. But calls for the entire government to resign less than two years into its term may harden positions and make dialogue more difficult. Unions should remain forceful, but their first duty is to secure practical gains for workers through negotiation. Government, for its part, must not dismiss labour’s frustration as political hostility. Workers keep the public service running. When they feel ignored, service delivery suffers and the whole country pays the price. President Boko’s administration must return to the negotiating table in good faith, share honest figures and make a reasonable offer within the country’s means.

Both sides must lower the temperature. Court battles should not replace collective bargaining. Botswana needs government and unions to find each other, agree on what is affordable and develop a clear plan to improve salaries and working conditions over time. Today's thought “Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.” — John F. Kennedy