PSBC off to a rocky start as union leaders fight
A feud from the past between foes is likely to be reviewed again in court anytime soon after trade union veteran, Johnson Motshwarakgole filed a case with court in an attempt to block the appointment of Andrew Motsamai as the Secretary of the Public Service Bargaining Council (PSBC).
Motsamai, who currently serves as District Commissioner in Serowe, is a former Botswana Public Employees Union (BOPEU) President.
Motsamai was at the helm of BOPEU when the union made a resolution to pull out of Botswana Federation of Public Sector Unions (BOFEPUSU), an organisation that was led by Motshwaragole who is also the leading founder of Botswana Manual Workers Union (BMWU).
BMWU does not see eye to eye with BOPEU. Whilst BMWU affiliates with BOFEPUSU, BOPEU on the other hand is a leading affiliate of Botswana Federation of Trade Unions (BFTU).
The differences between these two leading unions rests and is embedded within the differences of their founding leaders; Motsamai and Motshwarakgole.
Many perceive these differences to be purely personal and with trade unions merely being dragged in as tools of personal vendettas.
Whilst both Motshwarakgole and Motsamai were instrumental in the formation of BOFEPUSU and were equally the master minds and leaders of the famous 2011 Civil Servants’ strike, they ultimately had damaging fallout which continues to play out in the open to this day.
BOPEU ultimately pulled out of BOFEPUSU citing lost direction, maladministration and lack of financial accountability.
BOPEU having then been a BOFEPUSU cash cow, pulling out of the affiliation meant significantly decapitating BOFEPUSU’s financial muscle and bargaining numbers.
Despite BOFEPUSU moving on with its loss of BOPEU, it looks like some of its members are still after Motsamai’s head.
They have since then viewed BOPEU as an enemy, and Motsamai as the custodian of such an enemy.
Following the government’s decision to appoint Motsamai as the Secretary of the PSBC, Manual Workers Union, has openly differed with such a decision and has since filed an urgent application with the court to put an abrupt end to the appointment.
During a press conference this week Motshwarakgole made it clear that he will not support Motsamai’s appointment and that he preferred Tobokani Rari who he described as a man of integrity.
“We will not agree to a name brought to us by the government or allow the government to control PSB. Motsamai does not have integrity, I have no personal grudge against him but we cannot accept his appointment,” stressed Motshwarakgole. “Rari is a man of integrity with a traceable record and he is the one we want.”
Motshwarakgole said that although they had one voice with unions such as Botswana Doctors Union, Botswana Trade Union, BOPEU and Botswana Nurses Union, the partner unions changed the tone at the last minute, supporting Motsamai’s appointment.
Meanwhile, BOPEU has, through its President Martin Gabobake, filed an answering affidavit dismissing Motshwarakgole’s assertions as baseless, misleading and confused. BOPEU and Manual Workers Union have been in court against each other several times over the years, and over different matters. Motsamai through his lawyers has written to Motshwarakgole instructing him to “expunge and retract the injurious, malicious and defamatory remarks” he made about him in the founding affidavit and at the press conference.
