19 Mar 2015

Parliament, on March 19, started to debate the Societies Amendment Bill, which seeks to increase the number of people required to register a church from 10 to 250 as presented by the Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Mr Edwin Batshu. 

Member of Parliament for Tati West, Mr Biggie Butale did not support the bill saying it was against God as it sought to make it difficult for people to register churches.  Mr Butale said 250 was a high number and it would be difficult for people to register churches without impeding on ethical morals. 

He said the bill was discriminatory as other societies such as political parties and football teams were not required to have a minimum of 250 to register.  He compared the envisaged law to crucifixion of Jesus Christ adding there was other alternatives to deal with fraudulent pastors and false prophets.  

Member of Gaborone Bonnington North, Mr Duma Boko also opposed the bill, saying it encroached on the individual rights to worship.  He said the mischief that the amendment sought to cure was mushrooming of churches, singling out religious organisations hence discriminating them. 

MP Boko said churches were part of social capitalism, playing an important role in binding people together.  This, he said, allowed people to engage in an important form of civic engagement noting that the country needed more churches to connect more people. 

The church, he said, acted as a form of social solidarity and 250 made it difficult for people to know everyone and therefore it was better when they were fewer. 

Mr Boko, also the Leader of the Opposition, urged his counterparts to reject the motion saying it was ungodly, unnecessary and said people should be free to form as many organisations as they desired. 

He said people should be left to decide, which church they belonged to and be free to donate whatever possession they wanted to share with the church.  On false prophets, he said the truth would always defend itself and therefore did not need legislation as it would always prevail. 

Francistown West MP, Mr Ignatius Moswaane also opposed the bill saying he could not agree with the threshold as the minister had already increased fines to deal with the false prophets and unregistered churches. 

Supporting the amendment, the MP for Sefhare-Ramokgonami, Ms Dorcas Makgatho said churches had become businesses and government’s role was to protect its citizens from unscrupulous people hiding behind religion.

She said anyone who wanted to register a church would simply solicit membership and eventually arrive at the minimum required number for registration.  

Her sentiments were shared by MP for Francistown East, Mr Buti Billy and Maun East MP, Mr Konstatinos Markus who said the threshold should be increased to 250 to bar fraudulent operators from registering. ENDS