Bakgatla Chief accepts unionists petition

Despite a ban slapped on unionists representing striking civil servants from handing over a petition to tradition leaders, the Bakgatla deputy chief, Bana Sekai Linchwe, has buckled the trend.

On Friday, he accepted a petition from representatives of the public service workers on behalf of Kgosi Kgafela Kgafela II, who was not in the country.  Sekai said that he had not seen a letter allegedly circulated to traditional leaders countrywide not to accept the petition.  The deputy chief could not say what steps the Bakgatla bogosi would take after their receipt of the petition because Kgafela is not around.   He explained that the petition is addressed to Kgafela who will decide what to do with it.  The Bakgatla Kgosi is the first to receive the petition, in which public service unions seek to sensitise parents about the deteriorating state of education in the country.

The unions say the problems in the education sector have been worsened by the strike.  The petition says the current crop of Form Four students have been hit hard because they reported to school late as a result of last year's examination crisis.  Their first term at school has now been disrupted by the strike.  Union representatives had planned to present various traditional leaders with the petition last week, but got a rude awakening when the police thwarted them.

Editor's Comment
Closure as pain lingers

March 28 will go down as a day that Batswana will never forget because of the accident that occurred near Mmamatlakala in Limpopo, South Africa. The tragedy affected not only the grieving families but the nation at large. Batswana throughout the process stood behind the grieving families and the governments of Botswana and South Africa need much more than a pat on the back.Last Saturday was a day when family members said their last goodbyes to...

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