Dramatis personae of the Mother of All Strikes

Khama
Khama

Monday last week marked five years since the historic civil servants industrial action which attracted over 90,000 workers around the country. Initially, the strike was planned to last for 10 days but was prolonged to eight weeks, as the government would not entertain a 16 percent increment demanded by workers. Government offered five percent. Below, Mmegi staff writer CHAKALISA DUBE assesses the role played by five major players during the Botswana Federation of Public Sector Unions (BOFEPUSU) strike in 2011 dubbed the mother of all strikes.

Johnson Motshwarakgole

The success of the strike can be attributed to Motshwarakgole, BOFEPUSU labour secretary. He gave the strike political direction. Motshwarakgole, an experienced trade unionist, is someone who wields much power and is often listened to.

Editor's Comment
Deficit relief must not invite complacency

“Financial freedom is more of ajourney than a destination.”– Rob BergerThe preliminary 2026–2027 budget deficit has been revised down to P9 billion, which is an equivalent to 3.1 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It is an improvement from the P26 billion or 8.9 percent of GDP projected in February.This P17 billion improvement is significant and deserves acknowledgement.Government’s restraint on non-essential expenditure, tighter...

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