BOSETU congress deliberates on partisan politics
Ryder Gabathuse | Tuesday August 26, 2014 15:24
“We will give the congress an opportunity to debate issues including partisan politics as there is no motion specifically dealing with this issue. We don’t know what will come from the floor of the congress,” said BOSETU secretary general, Tobokani Rari in a recent interview with Mmegi.
In recent times, Botswana Federation of Public Sector Unions (BOFEPUSU) has apparently been drumming up support for the opposition tri-party coalition, the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC).
“The secretary general will report on the state of the union, which the BOSETU leadership has been mandated for three years. We will report on the alleged position of BOFEPUSU and where BOSETU stands as a union,” said Rari, adding that as a public sector union, BOSETU affiliates to BOFEPUSU.
He said that the teacher trade union is also entitled to a position of its own independent from other BOFEPUSU affiliates. BOSETU’s 10th congress is held in Palapye at the Majestic Five Hotel and will culminate in the election of a new leadership. BOSETU triennial elective congress commenced on Sunday and officially ends on Wednesday. As a collective, BOFEPUSU is very militant and relentless in pursuance of its rights, an attribute that is relatively lacking at BOSETU.Rari acknowledged that as trade unions making up BOFEPUSU and as BOSETU, they have been naturally holding differing views.
Other trade unions making up BOFEPUSU include National Amalgamated Local, Central Government and Parastatal Workers Union (NALCGPWU), Botswana Land Boards, Botswana Local Authorities and Health Workers Union (BLLAHWU), Botswana Public Employees Union (BOPEU) and Botswana Teachers Union (BTU). Meanwhile, Rari is elated that BOSETU goes to its 10th congress with notable achievements that are worth writing home about.
“As an organisation, we have been able to build capacity with four satellite offices across the country in Gaborone, Palapye, Francistown and Maun,” he said.
He added that resources permitting, they want to open more offices in the quest to serve members as efficiently and effectively as possible. Administratively, Rari is convinced that BOSETU has grown in terms of an entity that manages huge assets and finances. BOSETU has been a torchbearer in terms of unionisation, agitating, advocacy and lobbying.
“Recently, the political leadership is taking education seriously, which is a result of BOSETU lobbying for better education. Now there is political will to improve on our education,” he said.
As for the vacant position of executive secretary, BOSETU has outsourced recruitment processes from a private company for transparency.