Affiliates back BOFEPUSO support of UDC

Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Tuesday October 14, 2014 08:00

 

BLLAHWU called urgent governing council meeting over the weekend after BOFEPUSU president Masego Mogwera issued a press release in which she said BOFEPUSU is non -partisan.  BLLAHWU secretary general Ketlhalefile Motshegwa told Mmegi that their union has been at forefront on the issue of regime change.  “The purpose of our meeting was to know the union stand on the matter on whether we support what BOFEPUSU has been preaching the right thing or not. Our governing council has since agreed that the issue of regime change was been lead by BLLAHWU and therefore we support BOFEPUSU stand on UDC,” Motshegwa said.  Motshegwa, who is also BOFEPUSU deputy secretary general, said his union is going to follow a mandate that they were given by their governing council. 

The five unions that are affiliated to BOFEPUSU include National Amalgamated Local & Central Government & Parastatal Workers Union (NALCGPWU), Botswana Public Employees Union (BOPEU), Botswana Teachers’ Union (BTU), Botswana Sector of Educators’ Union (BOSETU) and Botswana Landboard and BLLAHWU. Mmegi has learnt that all the affiliates have been consulting over the weekend about their stand on UDC. 

According to a source, BOSETU executive committee met with its veterans at Oasis motel on Friday and Saturday to establish whether they have made the right decision or not. 

While not stating BOSETU position, the union’s secretary general Tobokani Rari said though BOFEPUSU issue was on the agenda, but they usually meet with veterans to seek advise on different matters. 

“I cannot disclose what we have been discussing in our meeting. Mogwera issue will be dealt with at BOFEPUSU meeting,” Rari said. 

Mmegi has learnt that NALCGPWU also met and decided to back BOFEPUSU on their support for the UDC. 

But efforts to establish that with the NALCGPWU executive secretary Johnson Motshwarakgole proved difficult at press time. 

The individual organisations’ weekend retreats followed the meeting of the BOFEPUSU executive committee late last week, at which they distanced the federation from Mogwera’s statement. At the meeting, which Mogwera did not attend, wanted to establish at whose mandate did Mogwera to write the statement. 

It emerged that even before she could release the statement, BOFEPUSU fight was already in the public domain.