Botswana has become an angry nation due to high unemployment – Jopi
By Staff Reporter
A Francistown-based trade union activist, Tamboka Jopi, says Botswana has become a nation of angry and hateful people because the 2008 World Financial Crisis worsened the working class’ poverty status.
Jopi, a regional chairperson for the Botswana Federation of Trade Unions (BFTU) stated on his Facebook wall on Wednesday that thanks to rising unemployed levels, Botswana was now ranked amongst the unhappiest countries in the world.
“The 2008 World Economic Recession worsened the economic status of the working-class as it wiped out the purchasing power of the workers in Botswana as commodity prices skyrocketed by more than 100%,” Jopi wrote. “The government implemented its outsourcing policy which saw more workers in cleaning and security remaining jobless and condemned to casual labour by contracted companies and ipelegeng. The private sector also embarked on massive retrenchments. OUTSOURCING led to poor service delivery as many communities had water crises, HEALTHCARE and Education crises which led to a long-term damage to society.”
He noted that from 2008 to date there have been retrenchments and casualisation of the workorce, and also salaries remained stagnant.
“This has increased porverty in working families as unemployment remains their burden. The working class as whole, which makes almost 45% of the population, only have around 10% share in the wealth of the country. The rest 90% is enjoyed by the few(elites),” Jopi stated further. “This issue has devastated and frustrated the workforce, getting demoralised and led to the downgrade of happiness in the country. Botswana is now ranked amongst the unhappiest countries in the World. Unemployment, poor wages has escalated poverty, crime and hate in the country. Botswana has become an angry nation. Botswana is sitting on a ticking bomb.”
