Events at the trade union Bopeu feel like we are now going through a defining moment in the history of organized labour in Botswana.
Since around July when political parties were emerging from their various conferences, we have been treated to various discordant noises by some in opposition that they want to re-unite Bopeu with labour federation, Bofepuso.
We now know why. Bopeu had become a feeding trough for many of these politicians. And Bofepuso was viewed as a distractive nuisance hell-bent on disturbing the bliss.
As a labour federation, Bofepuso should not allow itself to become an equivalent of Bopeu ÔÇô however wealthy the latter might be made to be.
One of the reasons why the Umbrella for Democratic Change is today clogged in a quagmire has been its willingness to treat itself as a political equivalent of Botswana Congress Party.
This is notwithstanding the fact that at the negotiations the UDC consisted of no less three political parties, all of them independently run.
That was not only shortsightedness, it was also an act of desperation on the part some UDC leaders who wanted state power at all cost and thought fast-tracking the acceptance of BCP was an easy route to state power.
Instead of going the route that now has taken the UDC to the cleaners, the BCP should have been encouraged to apply for UDC membership.
Bofepuso should learn from the UDC saga.
If Bopeu wants anything to do with Bofepuso, they should be advised to apply for membership.
Bopeu left Bofepuso because, we were told at the time, the latter had horrible corporate governance.
That was only an alibi; and evidence now suggests it lacked any moral truth in it.
The reasons advanced were at best an act of calculated window dressing and at worst outright lies.
We now know that corporate governance was a scapegoat to distract attention from the real issues of control and empire building that were overriding ambitions for some in Bopeu.
It was all about money and power.
Additionally, we were also told that Bopeu was not interested in party politics in the manner that Bofepuso had decided to do in so far as endorsing UDC in the 2014 General elections.
Some in the media, probably drunk with Bopeu fine wines, for their part chose to lamely reduce the differences between Bopeu and Bofepuso to strong-willed personalities sprawling the two camps ÔÇô Johnson Motshwakgole at Bofepuso and Andrew Motsamai at Bopeu.
Bopeu decision to leave Bofepuso, no doubt driven by some malice has revealed the union’s primitive detachment from reality.
The decision to leave reflected not so much the will of the majority of Bopeu members as that of the small but powerful clique that ran the union.
We now know that Bopeu forsook open political support of the UDC in favour of underground and clandestine patronage of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party and also act as a secret benefactor of a small select clique of UDC leaders outside of official channels ÔÇô the real reasons of departure that was engineered at leadership level.
Given what we now know about Bopeu, there is simply no way that abandoning Bofepuso could have been a considered decision by majority of Bopeu members.
Bopeu departure from Bofepuso, ostensibly to solidify trade unionism instead served to erode and reverse the gains as made by organized labour in Botswana over the years while also ushering a long running era of insanity and intolerance between and across trade unions.
This might have served the interests of a few in leadership positions. But the members were left worse off.
Sadly after its departure from the federation, Bopeu, by now a virtual honey pot also used their sizeable resources in the form of advertising to contaminate and polarize the media industry, including significantly contributing towards reversal of what gains the media had made towards quality assurance and improving standards.
Its time Bopeu transformed itself into a force for good.
And only the members, not officials at head office, can do it.
It is the height of irony that while Bopeu left Bofepuso citing bad corporate governance, the last few days have proved Bopeu itself to be an epitome of corporate decadence ÔÇô where one man ruled with so much unbridled power that is only comparable to that of medieval Kings.
The financial power of Bopeu has with time become like a contagious disease ÔÇô not used to empower members, but rather to purchase access and favours for leaders, enrich a few friends and more tragically undermine the very virtues for which organized labour should stand for.
And here we are not talking about a one-off breach, but an ingrained culture in the way that Bopeu has been run.
The destiny of Bopeu members is inextricably linked to that of multitudes of other workers at Bofepuso.
Bopeu, it was said at the time, was leaving Bofepuso so that the union could be run for the benefit of members. That we know was manifestly not the truth. Bopeu leaders pulled away from Bofepuso so that they could carve themselves a little serene environment from where they could loot the organization in peace. That much they achieved.
We were also told that the divorce from Bofepuso was meant to delink the union from party politics, yet today there are more pseudo-politicians working for Bopeu than for any non-political party organization in the country.
Bopeu members should reclaim their organization and decide for themselves what they want to do with it.
