Speaker of the National Assembly Mr Phandu Skelemani has rejected a request by Leader of Opposition Mr Dumelang Saleshando to move a motion under standing order 5.0. 

Mr Saleshando had requested the speaker to allow him to move a motion that Parliament resolves that the COVID-19 pandemic relief fund should provide subsidies for citizens who were unable to pay rentals for their residential and business premises as well as Batswana in informal sector who lost income due to the current lockdown. 

Mr Skelemani said the motion was sentimentally good but could be deferred to the July sitting to allow Parliament to debate affirmation of emergency powers amendment regulations before the house. 

He said the motion made sense except that there was no known time-frame when the lockdown was going to end. 

"We do not know how much in the fund that we have to subsidise. We don't know of government's decision on what amount to subsidise. In my view the motion could be debated in July when we know where we are. We can ask the minister of finance what he has in the fund. Currently the request doesn't allow us to make a decision on who else would be assisted, we are leaving ourselves in a cul de sac, "he said. 

In his response Mr Saleshando said he was disappointed that members of the ruling BDP were applauding the speaker's decision to turn down his request. 

He said he was worried that big businesses had been assisted with relief measures under the current lockdown but small businesses were in dire straits. 

Mr Saleshando said when the pandemic was initially announced legislators from across the aisle were in unison with oppositions regarding efforts to assist government fight the scourge but since they differed on the state of emergency powers they had been considered unpatriotic. Ends