BOFEPUSU protests against corruption

Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Wednesday March 28, 2018 15:33

 

When addressing the media at an emergency press conference in Gaborone yesterday, Tshukudu urged all concerned Batswana to partake in the event that will commence at Notwane grounds this evening at 4pm. He said corruption is fast becoming a huge problem in the country, which might affect upcoming generations.

“We have called opposition parties to come help us raise awareness on this problem. We are not part of any political party but when there are pressing issues like this one, we invite different stakeholders such as political parties, churches and student representative councils from various tertiary institutions to come and help us sensitize the public including the youth on issues of corruption. We urge Batswana to come join us in this protest. After the protest we will come here and discuss a way forward,” he said. 

For his part, BOFEPUSU vice president Mogomotsi Motshegwa said they are expecting a large number of the public to partake at the demonstration.

He said all BOFEPUSU affiliates including public service unions and parastatal unions to partake at the march. He explained that all unions combined had up to 90,000 members and therefore they expected a large number of people to partake at the event.

“We have applied for this protest. Participants can bring their banners and gazebos at the event,” he said. 

He explained that the protest would be about the misuse of funds such as the National Petroleum Fund (NPF), plastic levy, Botswana Public Officers Pension Fund (BPOPF), alcohol levy and others. He said it was high time they plant to the public that their leaders have to account because they are the ones who sent them to serve the nation not to misuse public funds.

Motshegwa added that corruption was bleeding the country’s economy, which means that their future generations and workers’ future was doomed. He also pointed out that the stolen money could be used to develop the country but if that were not the case. 

Botswana Congress Party (BCP) president Dumelang Saleshando said, “Our country has not gone to the dogs but the dogs have come to our country. They proclaim that it is their time to eat. We have reached a point where we are tired of the corruption. Madi a jewa sekutwane”.

He said it is time the public stood up and took a position to fight corruption.  He also called other opposition parties to partake in the protest. He urged the public to make a change at the 2019 elections.