�Rival� federations clash in Phikwe
Onalenna Kelebeile | Friday May 2, 2014 17:07
The two trade union federations
also had separate routes for marches
before the events. Political party
representatives had to find ways to
honour both events as they were
invited to give solidarity messages.
Botswana National Front Publicity
Secretary Moeti Mohwasa
had to honour both events, while
Botswana Congress Party Youth
League president, Dithapelo Keorapetse,
who was the guest speaker
at the BOFEPUSU event had
to leave hastily after his speech to
deliver a solidarity message at the
BFTU event.
Giving his message at the BFTU
event, Keorapetse appealed for unity
among trade unions and pleaded
with them not to view each other
as rivals. “You need each other and
you will conquer all if you are united,”
he said.
For his part, still at the BFTU
event, Mohwasa said that political
parties should also unite instead of
pointing out divisions in trade unions.
Speaking at the BOFEPUSU
event, Selebi-Phikwe branch chaichairman,
Norman Smarts urged members
to be careful and appreciate
the difference between the two
federations.
In an interview after the event,
Smarts conceded that the holding
of two separate events among the
federations may symbolise hostility between the two.