05 Dec 2018

The National Assembly on December 4 rejected an application by Mogoditshane Member of Parliament, Mr Sedirwa Kgoroba, to suspend its normal business in order to debate his motion to request government to resolve the impasse between Botswana and South Africa regarding the import of agricultural produce.

A total of 22 MPs voted against the legislator proceeding with the motion, while nine voted in favour.

A division of the assembly was called after opposition caucus challenged decision by acting speaker, Mr Kagiso Molatlhegi, to pronounce that the majority had voted against during the voice vote.

While motivating for the motion to proceed, Mr Kgoroba said there was an existing agreement between Botswana and South Africa for domestic informal traders to get a permit to purchase fruit and vegetable agricultural produce such as oranges, water melons and tomatoes to sell in Botswana.

But this permit, Mr Kgoroba said, there was  provision that the place of origin of the agricultural produce should be free of certain insects, but the South African producers insisted they could only ascertain that the products they sell would be free of insects; but cannot give certainty that the farms they use for production would themselves be free of insects.

As such, Mr Kgoroba said Parliament should call on the government to amend the clause in the permit to read that the agricultural produce imported should be free of insects, not the actual country or land where the products were farmed.

He said for five months, small scale hawkers had not been able to import and sell agricultural produce in the country, something he said affected as many as 5 000 people who depend on the trade countrywide.  This prompted the urgency of the matter, Mr Kgoroba said.

Kanye South MP, Mr Abram Kesupile and his Selebi Phikwe West colleague, Mr Dithapelo Keorapetse, criticised their colleagues in Parliament for not allowing the motion to proceed to be debated, stating that legislators should display compassion towards people affected by such trade regulations.

Mr Molatlhegi said according the Standing Order 50 of the National Assembly, which had been amended by MPs, the house had to vote before the mover of the motion could proceed with extensive details and a debate on the issue.   He also said there was nothing wrong within a democratic institution for the majority to vote against any particular issue, and urged MPs to lobby their colleagues if they wish to have support for issues they table before parliament.

Assistant Minister of Agricultural Development and Food Security, Mr Frans Van Der Westhuizen, said government was not against the issue being debated in Parliament, adding that the ministry was ready to address the concerns raised, but they disagreed with the motion being presented as an urgent matter. Ends