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Gabarone - Botswana’s President Ian Khama on Thursday said
the government cannot afford to give the striking public service workers the
16% salary increase they are demanding.
Addressing a high-level consultative council, Khama who has
been silent since the strike began on April 18, said government spending
remained in deficit with a projected revenue shortfall of seven billion pula
($1.057bn) in the current financial year.
"A 16% wage increase would thus add nearly two billion
pula more to the budget deficit, in the absence of deep cuts elsewhere,"
said Khama.
He said that public sector wages already cost the government
12 billion pula annually, considerably more than the 10 billion pula allocated
for development this year.
The strike, which is the country's worst labour action, has
shut down schools and hospitals.
"The salary increase which we are offering can
therefore be implemented if government stays within its budget
projections," he said.
Botswana, the world's top diamond producer, was hard hit by
the global economic crisis which resulted in a sharp decline of sales.
Khama said the country's economy was still volatile, due to
internal and external developments, such as rising fuel prices and the recent
earthquake in Japan.
He mentioned that unlike many other countries burdened with
budget deficits Botswana had not cut public sector salaries or jobs.
"It is regrettable that this fact is not appreciated by
those on strike. I will not take any decision that would drive the country in
debt. One cannot give what one does not have," he said.
This week, the government fired all "essential"
health workers who defied a court order to join the strike, forcing the
country's biggest hospital, Princess Marina to shut down.
Civil servants who have not had a salary increase for the
past three years are demanding a 16% raise.
Khama confirmed that government had offered unions an
unconditional three percent increase, down from an initial five percent offer.
Corruption
Meanwhile, court records show that Botswana's finance minister faces charges under the country's anti-corruption laws.
According to records seen by the Associated Press Thursday,
the charges date to Minister of Finance and Development Planning Kenneth
Matambo's 1998-2008 job as head of the Botswana Development Corporation. He is
accused of hiring a construction company that was doing business with the
state-owned corporation to build a home for himself, and of failing to disclose
his relationship with the company to the corporation.
He is scheduled to appear before a magistrate on May 31.
Attempts to reach Matambo for comment Thursday were unsuccessful. The minister has previously denied he faced charges.
