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
Two-tier education system demands action

Whilst we join Botswana Sectors of Educators Trade Union (BOSETU) and other stakeholders in commending the rise in top grades, a testament to the unwavering effort of many teachers and pupils, this progress is fundamentally shadowed by a failing that shames our society. The stark, persistent urban-rural divide is not just a statistic, but an active betrayal of thousands of young Batswana.The figures are a damning indictment. When pass rates in...

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