24 Feb 2022

Only people with a reading fluency of Setswana and English should be allowed to be Members of Parliament (MPs) or councillors.

Moshupa residents made the proposal during a consultative meeting with the Presidential Commission of Enquiry into the Review of the Constitution yesterday.

Representing on behalf of residents Mr Motshodi Ketshabile said setting minimum qualifications would ensure that politicians had capacity to interpret laws and policies for the communities they led.

He said as happened with the President, MPs and councillors should hold office for an aggregate period of 10 years.

In addition he called for amendment of Section 42 to proscribe appointment of MPs to Cabinet.

Such positions, he said, should be given to equally educated Batswana from outside Parliament.

“This will give Members of Parliament adequate time and opportunity to serve their constituencies,” he said.

Mr Ketshabile also suggested that Specially Elected Members of Parliament (SEMP) and specially nominated councillor positions should be reserved for marginalised groups such as women, youth and people living with disabilities. However, he said their capabilities and skills should determine such appointments.

Another resident, Mr Prince Segopotso said that the position of SEMP should not be affected by a vacancy in the office of the President. He called for the amendment of Section 32(10), which declares as vacant SEMP seats in the event of a vacancy in the presidency.

The section reads, “If the office of President becomes vacant in accordance with subsection (8) of this section the seats of the Specially Elected Members of the Assembly shall also become vacant, and the election of a person to the office of President shall take place before the election of the Specially Elected Members.”

Additionally, Mr Segopotso proposed that all public officers, irrespective of their rank, should take oath of office before assuming duty. “Just like lawyers and other officers, all public officers should take oath of office because they are nation builders,” he submitted.

For his part, Mr Edward Keloneilwe called for the re-engineering of Botswana’s electoral system to a hybrid model. He also said government services should be decentralised to councils for effective service delivery.

Mr Simon Ramono proposed that oversight institutions should be independent from the executive. This, he said, would promote good governance as it would allow them to execute their mandates effectively. “Institutions such as the Ombudsman are currently toothless because they are under the Office of the President,” he said.

Mr Mothusiemang Malwetsi said the constitution should recognise all tribes found in Botswana and close the disparity between major and minor tribes. All tribes, he said, should have their dikgosi represent them in Ntlo ya Dikgosi.

Mr Motlhatlosi Kelobang concurred adding that, “Batho ba ba simolotseng ele merahe e metona ba hetwa ke e mennye ka dipalo.” The

For her part Ms Oaitse Ntwayaeng said in order to ensure fairness and equality of tribes, the Presidential position should be rotational to allow other tribes to also have one of their own as President. She also said she was against direct election of the President as it could cause chaos and wars. ENDS