The march and petition come in the wake of a series of accidents at the Selebi Phikwe mine, which, this year alone, have resulted in four deaths and at least eight serious injuries. Yesterday’s appeal saw the Botswana Mine Workers Union (BMWU) booking Bamangwato Coach Tours buses to transport the aggrieved demonstrators from Selebi-Phikwe to the capital city. Although the BMWU lost an urgent Monday night application against the government after they were denied a route to demonstrate, the situation changed yesterday morning. The miners were allowed to demonstrate around the streets of Gaborone before handing the petition to the Vice President. During the demonstration, the aggrieved miners demanded the resignation of BCL managing director, Daniel Mahupela. They also wondered about the whereabouts of Selebi-Phikwe East MP, Nonofo Molefhi. The petitioners also demanded that BCL “stop the killing and enforce the law”. The demonstration attracted opposition legislators like Tlamelo Mmatli, Samuel Rantuana, Ndaba Gaolathe, Wynter Mmolotsi, Haskins Nkaigwa, Noah Salakae, Phenyo Butale and Dithapelo Keorapetse. Also present was former Gaborone Central MP, Dumelang Saleshando. Before BMWU president Jack Tlhagale read the petition, fellow unionists from Botswana Federation of Public Sector Unions (BOFEPUSU) and Botswana Diamond Workers Unions (BDWU) addressed the demonstrators.
They were reminded of an old labour movement adage ‘an injury to one, is an injury to all’. When he took the stage, Tlhagale stated that, “within the last five years, a total of 15 employees died on duty trying to make a living at BCL Mine in separate fatal accidents and many others sustained serious injuries with some of them becoming permanently incapacitated”.
