25 Oct 2016

Speaker of the National Assembly, Ms Gladys Kokorwe, has denied allegations that there will be no State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA) this year.

Speaking in an interview today (October 25), Ms Kokorwe said SONA will follow the special meeting of Parliament that starts today and expected to end on December 1.

She said SONA will be held at a date to be prorogued by President Lt Gen. Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama at the end of the special meeting.

Ms Kokorwe said the special Parliament had been called by President in line with powers vested in him by Section (93)1 of the Constitution, with a particular purpose to deliberate on the draft National Development Plan (NDP 11).

The speaker said the November session of Parliament was usually reserved for SONA, but this time around it coincided with the special Parliament to discuss NDP 11 that should have been brought before Parliament during the July session of Parliament, but was delayed.

“As Batswana may be aware, November session is reserved for SONA, February for budget and July for making bills. However this time around, it happened that the draft NDP 11 was not ready as at July session and hence this special meeting, but there will be SONA afterwards,” she said.

Ms Kokorwe further said the special Parliament meeting will start tomorrow with presentation of draft NDP 11 by the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mr Kenneth Matambo.

Thereafter, she said Parliament will reserve two clear days for legislators to acquaint themselves with the contents of the draft NDP 11.

She said afterwards, MPs will have eight days to debate the general principles of draft NDP 11 and there after another 16 days will be reserved for discussion of each sector as presented in the plan. This, she said, was per Standing Order 95, which stipulates days reserved for NDPs.

“This will take us up to December 1, if the MPs use all these days without saving any time because it may happen that they may take lesser days which may be used in something else,” she said.

Ms Kokorwe said the business advisory committee, which comprised Leader of the House, Leader of Opposition and  three party whips was yet to finalise if questions and motions will be allowed during the special meeting.

She said during the last meeting of the committee, the committee agreed that questions and answers be allowed, but the matter was yet to be agreed at the members’ general assembly.

Ms Kokorwe said the committee together with the general assembly will also decide as to whether motions should be included during the special meeting.

Other issues to be decided by the committee include time allocations for each MP in addition to what has been agreed so far. ENDS