The labor strike of 9,000 civilian workers is now in its sixth day. On occasion, there has been a gathering of people at a rally with a speaker talking from a bullhorn. Managers are seen wandering around the offices chatting and sitting in front of computers. Other than that, there is not much sign of a real strike although the newspaper suggests that border crossings are quite crowded and the lines lengthy.
The most significant development is that nurses and doctors in several of the public hospitals and clinics have joined the strike, shutting down the clinics and leaving some inpatients in the lurch. The government has gone to court to require medical personnel to remain on duty with at least skeleton crews. The buses are still running, the mail is still being delivered and most of the stores are open.
The construction crew near our office for a new 15’x15’ outbuilding for the Council Secretary has continued working. This would not be memorable except it is being done by hand and one of the workers with a pick axe managed to cut the electrical cable, so we have no electricity. At least publicly, there appears to be no significant move toward compromise between union and management and everything has been put on hold for the four-day Easter holiday including any attempt to restore our electric current. No juice, office staff can't work, no Internet…a real pain!
Some Things I have Learned
Every respiratory infection, cold, nasal drip or cough, is labelled here as “the flu,” and reason to be off work if you go to the clinic and get a signed note from a doctor, which is very seldom refused.
Toothpicks are a Botswana obsession. Perhaps because a lot of meat is eaten here, every table contains a supply and most everyone uses one. I had addiction long before I came to Africa so it was not unusual for me. What was unusual was to see everyone, including the most fashionable ladies, vigorously pick their teeth after a meal. Some would have a toothpick hanging out of their mouth during the post-prandial conversation which vaguely resembles Popeye’s pipe. If there are no regular toothpicks around, the Batswana grab the long thin thorns of the acacia trees to do the job.
Public transportation here is quite good. Combi's (extended VW mini-busses) do short and medium runs and carry 16 passengers. Large buses vary in their condition, but in general are quite safe and clean. There are no chickens or other animals on board. The schedules generally run on time and the fares are cheap – it costs about 80 cents to go from our village to the capital 15 miles away. You can travel from one end of Botswana to the other (the size of Texas) for approximately $22. There is one proviso however, and that is that your butt must be no more than 14 inches wide. If not, you become very “up close and personal” with your next-door neighbor or have 1 ½ cheeks on the seat and one half cheek hanging right out there in the aisle.
Batswana love photographs. As soon as they see you with a camera they ask for their picture to be taken and are delighted to have someone take a picture of you with them. Many do not want to smile and prefer a solemn expression.
The cell phone penetration in Botswana is 136%. This means that statistically, every citizen has one cell phone and approximately one third of the population has two. As is common in the States, people use cell phones to call or text almost constantly--while on the bus, walking down the street, or in meetings.
Basic services such as electricity, water, gas for cooking, and telephone are generally available but can shut off unpredictably for varying lengths of time from several minutes to several days.
Clothes smell fresher when they have dried hanging on a clothesline. Clothes driers are virtually non-existent except for the very wealthy.
The big meal here is lunch. Particularly at conferences or other places where there is a buffet line, I do mean “BIG.” Plates are piled with a large mound of food and often people go back for seconds.
In general, the vast majority of people are quite honest. On four separate occasions I had my cell phone or wallet fall out of my pocket on a public bus. On all four occasions someone would notify me or in one case, a passenger chased me down at the front of the bus to return the item. Nonetheless, our house was robbed three times, while we were sleeping.
I feel a lot safer in a country in which guns are illegal.
Unless you are situated on a busy road, the only sounds that you hear in Ramotswa are birds chirping, roosters crowing, cowbells clanking, donkey’s braying and children laughing and playing.
Kgosi
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