Manual Workers shoots down Vision 2036
Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Friday September 29, 2017 10:50
In its a fourth handbook edition titled ‘Vision 2036: Another Doomed National Roadmap?’ the union focuses on interrogating the Vision and its success prospect by listing its terms as “disturbing developments in the governance of Botswana”. In the booklet, manual workers union, as NALCGPWU is commonly known, says the Vision is misdirected as it fails to acknowledge the country’s source of problems. The union says although the labour movement greatly believes in the undertaking of production of a national vision that charts the way forward for the country’s aspirations, the government has turned the “ambitious aspirations” into wishful thinking.
“(In) Our assessment of Vision 2016 against the conduct of the current national leadership, we are highly doubtful if the ideals of Vision 2036 can be achieved.” A new national Vision 2036 was launched last year following the end of Vision 2016. Johannes Tshukudu, who is the president of Botswana Federation of Public, Private Parastatals Sector Union (BOFEPUSU) represented the labour movement in the Vision’s Presidential Task Team.
The union observes that Vision 2036 started off on a wrong footing as the country experienced the highest number of job losses due to the abrupt closure of the BCL mine. Over 5,000 mine workers lost their jobs as a result of the mine closure. There were also retrenchments at Water Utilities Corporation and Botswana Housing Corporation.
The union says the high unemployment will impact on the Vision achieving the pillar of human and social development by 2036.
The booklet further outlines events such as Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi’s failure to win the African Union chair; the bad blood in the judiciary, which they say has been politicised; under funding of the country’s higher learning institution, the University of Botswana; and the persecution of the media and labour movements. The union also attacked President Ian Khama’s leadership, blaming him for the dismal failure of Vision 2016.
“Khama introduced the his 5Ds of Democracy, Development, Dignity, Discipline and Delivery. But they were severely undermined and crippled by the actual corruption, mismanagement and blatant favouritism that came to characterise his administration since coming into office in April 2008.”