Uyapo Kgosi
2 April 2008
Francistown — The newly- acquired Botswana Mine Workers' Union (BMWU) Francistown branch building in Block-Eight has been named in honour of the late trade unionist, Ditiro Saleshando.
The 'Ditiro Saleshando Memorial Union Centre' was officially opened on Saturday by Patrick Van Rensberg, the Director of Foundation for Education With Production.
The Francistown block of offices is BMWU's second building in the country. The official opening was graced by dignitaries from other unions across the country chief executive officer of First National Bank Danny Zandamela, and the late Saleshando's family.
The new building was procured from Vadakkemadm Murthy of SAT Investments at the cost of P3.5 million through a 10-year-loan from First National Bank. Zandamela said the bank took pride in supporting viable business initiatives like the one taken by BMWU. He added that they have plans tailor- made for the mining industry.
Meanwhile, during the official opening ceremony, Saleshando was hailed as a unionist of repute with a rich history that made him stand out among his peers.
Saleshando joined the union in 1973 at a time when it had next to nothing in terms of money and assets. He was employed by BCL as a trainee. He joined the union's politburo in early 1975 as an assistant general secretary after the then executive secretary declined to continue in office. He fought tooth and nail to make sure that the BMWU ship stayed on course.
In July 1975, BCL employees engaged in a strike which resulted in the expulsion of many workers including branch and executive committee members. In the executive, only Ditiro was spared. This was a very difficult time for the organisation because therewas a lot of fear, anger and disillusion against the union by workers.
Some of them resigned their membership saying that the union was useless. But under Saleshando's tutelage, BMWU organised legal representation for those who were arrested for the strike. He restructured the union through the use of his resources and his
efforts paid off when he was ultimately elected BMWU's vice chairman in 1976.
In 1977, he attended an African-American labour centre- sponsored workshop on pneumoconiosis in Kitwe, Zambia where he was impressed by the financial independence of the Mine Workers' Union of Zambia. The lessons he learned benefited BMWU in its effort to build a financially independent organisation. The union grew financially as it was able to be a player in the transport industry, real estate educational scholarships to students from low-income families. In 1994, he joined the International Labour Organisation (ILO), after a stint at BFTU.
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