07 Apr 2020

Leaders of different opposition political parties have opined that the extension of the state of emergency from 21 days to six months is reasonable considering the need for the country to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

The leaders expressed their agreement with the state of emergency after a meeting with President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi and Vice President Mr Slumber Tsogwane, who were representing the governing Botswana Democratic Party as well as cabinet ministers and health specialists. 

Francistown South Member of Parliament, Mr Wynter Mmolotsi, who is the vice president of the Alliance for Progressives told the press briefing at the end of the closed door meeting that he was convinced of the merits of the move.

“I came into the meeting apprehensive about the need for a state of emergency, because you do not always trust the motives of other politicians. But after the explanations from the experts, I became convinced.  We had a comprehensive briefing, and we were given an assurance that our concerns about protecting the livelihoods of ordinary Batswana in low income households would be addressed,” Mr Mmolotsi said.

Botswana Movement for Democracy president, Advocate Sydney Pilane said he was grateful to government for being accountable to them as political stakeholders in the country.

“We are engaged in a fight of a lifetime, and this is not the time for petty party politics, but a moment for us to unite and come up with collective ideas to overcome this pandemic.  We were given a detailed brief, we asked questions and offered advice and we hope for more engagement in future,” Adv. Pilane said.

He said that the Ministry of Health and Wellness had been doing a tremendous job in fighting the coronavirus threat since it emerged globally.

Adv. Pilane said although the ministry had invoked the Public Health Act on a few occasions to enact various restrictions on social life in order to deal with the COVID-19, that had not been enough given the circumstances.

“I have studied how Western countries have been battling COVID-19 and they are still struggling despite their resources.  We appreciate the efforts of the Ministry of Health and Wellness, but the battle is beyond them, the challenges we face cut across society, which necessitates a state of emergency, which led to the adoption of this extreme measure,” he said.

He explained that while the separation of powers between the judiciary, legislature and executive would still obtain, and people could still seek recourse from the courts, a few liberties such as the freedom of movement and the right to assembly would frequently be suspended, in order to avoid the greater calamity of loss of lives from COVID-19.

Botswana Patriotic Front president (BPF), Mr Biggie Butale said his party was uncomfortable with the state of emergency as a precedent could be set that could be used for undemocratic ends in future.  

But he said despite their uneasiness, they had also become convinced that this was a necessary step in the current situation.

He said the BPF was committed to joining hands with the government and other stakeholders in the battle against COVID-19, and expressed gratitude for what he called the ‘frank discussions’ that had brought different political participants under one roof. 

Mr Gaontebale Mokgosi, the leader of the Real Alternative Party said the experience of the European states that were currently bearing the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated that Botswana put stringent measures to address crisis.

As such, he said his party supported the state of emergency and that their concerns about the plight of the poor during the period of extreme social distancing were addressed. He said some of the measures being proposed to assist low income groups were socialistic in nature, which resonated with his movement.

Responding to an inquiry from the press, President Masisi revealed that the official opposition Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), which was not represented, had been invited to the meeting and had been given the assurance that they could send a representative if their president was unavailable to attend.

Dr Masisi acknowledged that the absence of the UDC dampened the spirit of the occasion somewhat, but said the official opposition would still have an opportunity to engage on the COVID-19 subject in the parliamentary general assembly scheduled for Tuesday (April07). Ends