17 Feb 2022

The ministers’ fraternal in Thamaga want the constitution to recognise the church as an institution in its own right. 

Discussing their recommendations before the Presidential Commission of Enquiry into the review of the Constitution on Wednesday in Thamaga, the ministers stressed the importance of the church in the society as a social institution that needed to be accorded the respect it deserved. 

Mr Lopang Raboloko, a representative of the body said the law should recognise ministers of God as an essential service, as proved by their usefulness at the height of Covid 19.

He said it had now become apparent that their services were also needed in schools. 

Consequently he proposed that chaplaincy in school should be made a must in all schools and public institutions. 

His counterpart, Mr Botsang Mokaba cautioned against mismanagement of land saying the resource could become a central object of conflict if not handled well. 

Therefore, he called equal distribution of land. Mr Moemedi Motswete representing Mminakgabo Development Trust, proposed that local authorities should be given full rights to natural resources such as river sand found in their areas. 

Commenting on the laws governing pensions and pension’s rights, he proposed that these laws should also be extended to people working in the private sector. He cited that private sector employees languished in poverty after retirement since they had no pension or laws protecting their pension rights. 

He further proposed that the age of dependents on pension be raised from 18 to at least 21 years when they are mature enough to handle the funds. Mr Motswete also suggested that there should a corruption court. Mr Kopano Rannatshe called for entrenching of the bill of rights into the constitution. 

He argued that nonexistence of a clause specific to a bill of rights infringed on the citizens’ rights to take government to task. He gave as an example a situation where a public enterprise overstepped consumers’ rights, and they could not take it to court, which would be different if there was an entrenched bill of rights in the constitution. 

He also proposed that retirement age be reduced from 60 to 55 years to create employment for young graduates. Further, Mr Rannatshe argued the Constitution should provide a clear distinction between indigenous and naturalised citizens and make deliberate provisions for indigenous Batswana to participate equally in matters of the economy. 

Under the current provisions, he said, most economic naturalised citizens enjoyed benefits over indigenous Batswana, who could not out compete the former in terms of skills and assets. Ends