14 May 2017

People living with disabilities in Kasane have challenged the Speaker of the National Assembly, Ms Gladys Kokorwe to lobby for the enactment of a disability act to augment the current national policy on care for people with disabilities.
Responding to an address by the Speaker as part of her taking Parliament to the people initiative May 8, Mr Mpho Sibanda, who is a person living with disability, said the existing policy was outdated and failed to take their needs into consideration.

“As you can see, I am having to comment seated outside the kgotla because I cannot access it with my wheelchair, something which the disability act which we have lobbied for since 2006 can address,” he said.  Another person living with disability (PWLD), Mr Lloyd Mutakela called for inclusivity of PLWDs in community platforms such as Village Development Committees.

In her response, Ms Kokorwe challenged the local leadership including the council secretary, tribal secretary and district commissioner’s office to use their influence to ensure that communal areas such as the kgotla were made accessible for people living with disabilities through the installation of a ramp. “I challenge you to use your maintenance votes to solve this as a district,” she said. On the disability act, she noted that their Member of Parliament could table it in Parliament as a motion.  Ms Kokorwe also announced that Botswana Television (BTV) would start airing live parliamentary sessions in July this year if all goes to plan.

In other issues, residents asked Parliament to review the electoral system of first past the post which they felt was not representational of all voters’ interests compared to proportional representation. Another resident, Mr Sangwana Sangwana pleaded with the Speaker for the review of the hunting ban which came into effect in 2014. “As a result of the hunting ban, incidents of human-wildlife conflicts have risen leaving farmers impoverished,” he stated. Mr Sangwana also noted with concern low representation of women in Parliament.

Remarking on some of the concerns raised, Ms Kokorwe said that they were continually encouraging women to not only stand for positions of leadership, but to support those who do. Currently women constitute about 8 per cent of Parliament. Discussions around the hunting ban, she said, would be forwarded to the relevant ministry.
The Member of Parliament for Chobe, Mr Machana Shamukuni reminded constituents that it was their responsibility to hold him accountable as their elected leader. He also encouraged them to give him feedback on issues so that he could represent them better. ENDS