Lawrence Ookeditse, the Publicity Secretary for Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) supports the strike by Combi and Taxi operators unconditionally.
While some are of the view that the timing for the strike was wrong regarding that Form 5 students are sitting for their final examinations, Ookeditse says that is the government’s concern, not operators’.
“There is no perfect timing for a strike. What are you talking about? That the examinations are ongoing, and that students are writing is the government’s business, the same government which increased permit prices and imposed taxes, levies plus adjusted fuel prices upwards. Government didn’t know there’d be exams? You want these taxi and combi operators to basically subsidise you and your kids on behalf of your reckless government? ” Ookeditse argued.
Ookeditse says the government should rather temporarily suspend its “develish costs”, not for Combi and Taxi drivers to bear the brunt. “Primarily, it’s government’s duty to ensure the welfare of citizens and that exams are written in a conducive environment. Not of transport operators. They’re a stakeholder but on that map they are a bit far. Talk to your government.” said Ookeditse.
According to Ookeditse, the operators should not be blamed as they only responded to government’s actions. Ookeditse says it is the government which should be condemned for acting irresponsibly, not the operators who are simply fighting to be heard.
Supporting the the strike, another local prominet lawyer, Uyapo Ndadi, posted on Facebook, “Iβm with the combi men and women. Government is basically condemning us to deeper poverty by these heavy increases on fuel, levies, taxes and service fees. The cost of running a combi has gone exponentially high. A ke one maduo a go tsamaelwa?”
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Transport and Communications has indicated that the talks with with the operators are ongoing . A response from the authorities on the way forward is expected on Friday.
