In spite of the embarrassing initial tiff between the federations - BOFEPUSU and BFTU, about who between them officially reported the matter of government failure to adhere to ILO standards; the federations did well to close ranks, to expose the chameleon-like behaviour of the Botswana government’s relations with the working class - the creators of wealth and maintainers of peace and order in public administration. The BDP’s duck-and-dive tactics lie tattered. Whatever Minister Tshenolo Mabeo tried to say or insinuate sounded tipsy and without sense.
The highest court of international arbitration between employee and employer in this world of capitalist exploited worker, and dog-eat-dog listened, but was unconvinced; workers’ representatives made more sense! How could Mabeo ever imagine any of the professional arbitrators in the highest court of trade and labour disputes, might buy into his government’s nuanced interpretation of what might or might not constitute a life-threatening situation? Surely, Botswana isn’t the unique-st of countries around the world.
