Public service strike exposes chinks in Botswana's armour

Mail & Guardian
Almost 100 000 public servants have been on strike in Botswana since Monday last week, in an unprecedented display of popular militancy in the country. The nationwide strike, over demands for a 16% salary increase, has potential political implications for a state ruled by the Botswana Democratic Party since independence. Thousands of striking workers have gathered daily at the Gaborone Secondary School (GSS) grounds, chanting anti-government slogans. Some union members say the strike is clearly influenced by events in North Africa, adding that the GSS grounds have been nicknamed "the Tahrir Square of Botswana", recalling the scene of protests in central Cairo. Workers in major towns and villages have also been demonstrating. The strike is said to have paralysed government operations such as health and education. Trade unions claim that about 80% of the civil service has joined in. The state is Botswana's largest employer. Unionists said the government has redeployed members of the Botswana Defence Force, the Botswana Police and volunteers to keep services running. The Botswana Red Cross Society has also been roped in to assist in clinics and hospitals. This week the government of President Ian Khama dismissed reports of a "crisis". The government spokesperson and deputy permanent secretary in Khama's office, Jeff Ramsay, told the Mail & Guardian that the situation is under control. "While the strike has certainly not paralysed the government service as a whole, it has had a negative impact in some areas. No hospitals or schools have been closed, but some have been affected," Ramsay said.