16 Jul 2014

Parliament has passed three bills; Proceeds and Instruments of Crime Bill, Chemical Weapons (Prohibition) Bill and Forensic Procedures Bill with amendments.

The Proceeds and Instruments of Crime Bill with its 75 clauses seek to deprive persons convicted of certain crimes benefits or rewards gained from such crimes. 

When making amendments to the Bill Minister of Defence, Justice and Security Mr Ramadeluka Seretse said the amendments at clause 7 were only done to make it more elegant. 

When presented to Parliament for its second reading last week the Bill gained much support from legislators who explained that it was long overdue.

In the Chemical Weapons Bill, which is an Act to provide for the prohibition of the development, production, acquisition, stockpiling, retention and use of chemical weapons and related matters, clause 27 was added a new subsection which read “Any person who fails to comply with a notice given under this section commits an offence and is liable to a fine

not exceeding P150 000 or to a term not exceeding two years or both,”
Member of Parliament for Lobatse Mr Nehemiah Modubule asked the Minister of Defence why the new amendment carried an excessive fine from the initial arrangement.

The Minister explained that the new amendment differed from the confidentiality clause as failure to provide information about potentially dangerous objects was a serious offence. 

A new sub-section was also introduced at Clause 16. In the Forensic Procedures Bill only three amendments were made at clause 29 and clause 33. 

The Minister had also approached the bench to make a proposal without notice to amend clause 28 and inserting a new paragraph at section “c”.

The Speaker of the National Assembly Dr Margaret Nasha told the House that the Botswana National Sport Commission Bill could not pass through to the Committee stage pending further consultation between the Minister of Youth, Sport and Culture and the Committee on Youth, Sport, Art and Culture. 

The matter was referred to Thursday 17th July. ENDS