11 Feb 2015

Calls for Parliament debates to be broadcast live on the national television were amplified again on Tuesday (February 10). 

Several MPs, who were debating the Parliament budget estimates for the 2015/16 financial year, challenged the Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration, Mr Eric Molale to speed up the process of live broadcasts of Parliament debates. 

Major General Pius Mokgware, Gabane-Mmankgodi MP, who asked for Parliament to be detached from Office of the President and made an independent entity, said live broadcasting of debates would enable the public to see how their MPs represented them. 

Another MP who called for live television broadcasting of Parliament was Mr Kostantinos Markus of Maun East.  He said, “it is important for Parliament proceedings to be broadcast live to the public because MPs are representatives of the people. People must see what is happening in Parliament.” 

Mr Dithapelo Keorapetse, MP of Selebi Phikwe West, argued that Parliament sessions should be broadcast live on Btv and Radio Botswana. He asked the minister to speed up the process of implementing live broadcasts because parliament has in the past adopted a motion asking for such. 

He said the motion was tabled by his predecessor, Mr Gilson Saleshando.  “People want to see Members of Parliament speaking in Parliament,” said Mr Keorapetse.

In his response to the issue, Minister Molale said broadcasting Parliament proceedings live on television required lot of resources.  He said government was still struggling to make those resources available. 

“When the resources are available live broadcasting of Parliament will definitely be done,” he said.  On another issue, MP Ndaba Gaolathe of Gaborone Bonnington South asked Parliament to establish a budget office that would use experts to analyse the country’s economy and give direction on expenditure. 

He said there was inadequacy in Parliament at the moment to understand economic issues.  “We should have experts from a neutral entity who do our analysis and forecasts of the budget. 

"Their analysis will guide us on how our expenditure will affect our economy,” said the Umbrella for Democratic Change legislator.  He said decisions of political leaders on the economy must be informed by expert submissions. 

Thus, he said the budget office will tell Parliament what was feasible and what was not.  Mr Samson Guma, Tati-East MP, called for improvement of conditions of service of political leadership and civil service. 

He said workers in Botswana are seriously under-paid, therefore there is need for a holistic view of the pay structure.  “Let us take a holistic view of the entire pay structure of our civil service and the country as a whole. 

The minimum wage is way below the living wage.  Some people earn as low as P600,” he complained.  MP of Francistown West, Mr Ignatius Moswaane echoed the views, saying salaries of MPs are very low and must be doubled. 

MP of Boteti West, Mr Slumber Tsogwane said there should be a change in the running of MPs constituency offices to make them more effective.  He said they are currently being run on partisan lines yet they use public funds. ENDS