That is why the suspension of unionist, Goretetse Kekgonegile, intervening in the tottering opposition cooperation talks is symbolic. The Botswana Federation of Public Service Unions (BOFEPUSU) spokesperson and Botswana Land Boards, Local Authorities and Health Workers Union (BLLAHWU) president is not a small figure in the union movement. Therefore his suspension is meant to send a message to the union leadership that the government is prepared to go to any lengths to fight them and the workers they represent.
Civil society, if it is to play any meaningful role in the political affairs in this country will have to knuckle in for a serious battle with the current government. It seems the administration of President Ian Khama believes that the only place for civil society is in the narrow engagements with specific demands of its clients. In that way, a union becomes nothing but a group of people selected to argue for salary increments with the employer. Any ambition to play a wider role in the socio-economic and political affairs of this country will be met with serious attack as the example of Kekgonegile shows. However, opposition parties and politicians have not been subjected to punishment by government. There is no denying the fact that Batswana look to the opposition cooperation project to improve our democratic space. Every Motswana who takes this country's interest seriously should have a vested interest in this project. The union leadership deserves credit for having taken this responsibility seriously. The unions should remain focused and if they can, together with other civil society organisations, should play a meaningful role in these talks. The talks cannot be left to the narrow partisan thinking of the opposition leadership. Not that the opposition leaders are limited but the project is national in scope and requires more than the abilities of a few politicians.
