03 Jul 2017

The long awaited live broadcasting of Parliament proceedings is likely to be piloted during the course of the winter meeting of Parliament scheduled for July 4 to August 11.

Speaker of National Assembly, Ms Gladys Kokorwe said during a press briefing on June 29 that although she could not ascertain on which date the piloting would commence, it is expected that the piloting and scoping be implemented during this sitting.

She said implementation of live broadcast would require adequate planning that include regulatory framework and resource adequacy.

“As you would recall, Parliament passed a motion on broadcasting live parliamentary proceedings during the 10th Parliament,” she said.

She said Parliament had been allocated P3.7 million for scoping and piloting of the project, although there were some delays emanating from consultations with other key stakeholders.

Clerk of National Assembly, Ms Barbara Dithapo said it was necessary for Parliament to start the scoping and piloting of the project in order to be ready for the roll out of the initiative. She said during this phase, they would be looking at appropriate models to use, which she said included capacity, television station, or model to collaborate with other institutions such as Radio Botswana and Btv.

“As we have been taking Parliament to the people, Batswana pleaded for reinstatement of Radio Parliament news. This requires collaboration with the said departments for the piloting to be successful,” she said. She said she was meeting with BOCRA because the current regulations do not allow Parliament to have its own channel as currently only the state and commercial television stations were the only ones provided for. We have to collaborate with other stakeholders in place to see how we can fit within the existing systems,” she said.

On other issues, Ms Kokorwe said the newly elected MP for Tlokweng, Mr Kenneth Segokgo would be sworn in at the start of the proceedings that would commence with observing moment of silence in honour of the late second President, Sir Ketumile Masire.

She said during this session of Parliament that primarily focuses on making of bills; eight bills that were carried over from the last meeting of Parliament would be tabled before Parliament. Some of them are National Assembly (Salaries and Allowances Amendment) Bill, Specified Offices (Salaries and Allowances Amendment) Bill, Prisons (Amendment) Bill. She said two other bills referred to Ntlo Ya Dikgosi were the Tribal Land and Deeds Registry (Amendment) Bill and that Parliament was waiting for resolutions from Ntlo Ya Dikgosi concerning the two bills.

The Deeds Registry Act was promulgated in 1960 and over the years there has been challenges in the implementation of the Act, as such as married persons defrauding their spouses by forging their signatures signifying consent when dealing with immovable property forming part of their joint estate such as land.

The object of the Bill is therefore  0to amend the Deeds Registry Act to address the challenges that are faced by the implementation of the Act.

The object of the Tribal Land Bill is to improve the administration of tribal land. Among other things, it provides for the grant of customary land rights under common law and also provides for the conversion of a customary form of tenure to a common law form of tenure.

Ms Kokorwe said questions and motions which were pending from the last meeting would also be continued. 

It is expected that 141 questions, and 87 private members motions and three urgent public motions be put before Parliament.

Urgent motions include that of Francistown West MP, Mr Ignitious Moswaane, that request government to suspend, with immediate effect, regulations governing driving schools and that of Nata-Gweta MP, Mr Polson Majaga that request government to consider introduction of ceiling on urban land ownership or acquisition. ENDS