Member of Parliament for Maun West, Caterpillar Hikuama, has issued a scathing critique of the government’s treatment of the workforce, demanding the immediate payment of long-overdue overtime, notch adjustments, and examination marking arrears.
Speaking as the keynote speaker during the Labour Day commemorations in Maun on Friday, Hikuama warned that a “changing economy” must not be used as an excuse for a diminishing quality of life for public servants.
Addressing the theme, “Safeguarding the Nation’s Livelihood in a Changing Economy,” the MP argued that for many, this transition has brought stagnant wages and rising costs rather than promised prosperity.
“The government seems to have forgotten that the dignity of a worker is rooted in the fair and timely payment of their labour,” Hikuama stated. “We talk about ‘safeguarding livelihoods,’ yet the government continues to treat your hard-earned overtime as a zero-interest loan to the state.”
Hikuama took particular aim at the Botswana Examinations Council (BEC) over unpaid arrears for teachers who marked the 2025 examinations.
“It is now May 2026. Why are the teachers still waiting for their checks?” he asked. “It is a national disgrace that those who shape the minds of our children are forced to beg for what is rightfully theirs. You cannot ‘safeguard a livelihood’ by starving the teacher.”
The MP also called for the immediate implementation of court-ordered 2% notch adjustments, noting that delays send a message of instability and erode the trust essential for
The outspoken legislator insisted that the transition from a minimum wage to a P4,000.00 living wage must move beyond political rhetoric. He described the shift as a “moral and economic necessity” to ensure workers are not left behind by rampant inflation.
“To work without pay is not ‘service’; it is exploitation,” Hikuama emphasized. “A government that can find funds for luxury projects must find the funds to pay the people who keep the lights on and the water flowing.”
Hikuama concluded by urging employers to view the workforce as their greatest asset rather than a mere production cost. He stressed that without the “sweat and skill” of the worker, no profit or service is possible.
“True progress is measured by how the government protects small businesses and honours the promises made to the workforce,” he said.
