03 Mar 2022

The Seherelela community has proposed to the Presidential Commission of enquiry on the Review of the Constitution that neutral names be adopted for land boards to replace the current ones depicting certain tribal groupings.

Presenting their views on Thursday, one of the residents, Mr  Itemogeng Seokamo said this would do away with discrimination effected by the current Tribal Territories Act. 

On the same breath, he proposed that the act should be scrapped.

Mr Itemogeng further suggested that nominees to Ntlo Ya Dikgosi should just be representatives and not have any tag to create neutrality.

 He also suggested two-five year terms for members of parliament and councillors to make way for other candidates with new sets of skill and fresh ideas.  

Still on the issue of Bogosi, Mr Solomon Troupa said in order to bring equality among tribes, the law should allow for tribes to elect their own dikgosi and obliterate the word “Kgosi Kgolo” as it connoted discrimination. 

“A re tlhophe dikgosi re tswe mo goreng kgosi ke e tsetsweng,” he said explaining that people should be allowed by law to elect their own dikgosi even if they were not of blue blood.

Mr Motlogelwa Phaphane called for the review of Botswana Laws to be simplified to make it easy for ordinary Batswana to understand and interpret them. 

This, he said would make it possible for them to self-represent in courts of law. 

He suggested that the process of amending the constitution should undergo a five year review period before it is adopted to allow all structures of society to have input. 

In addition he said the law should allow for equal distribution of resources and developments across the country to avoid situations where other places were better developed than others.

Other residents proposed that the position for minister be contested for just like those for members of parliament.  Yet, there were those  who proposed that the president should elect his cabinet outside of parliament.

On the issue of marriage, Mr Maxwell Thabore said there should be a provision in the marriage act to standardise Bogadi.

“A go tsene mo molaong gore magadi e nna bokae,” he said indicating that the issue of Bogadi should be entrenched in the law.

Meanwhile Ms Osenotse Ontiretse said the Marriage Act should not allow polygamous marriages but should maintain the current monogamous system. 

She also said the constitution should not allow for same sex marriages adding that was alien culture. Ms Gaone Phokoje supported the idea of maintaining the Marriage Act and equally derided any suggestions that polygamy should be allowed. BOPA