03 Mar 2022

Botswana’s constitution should reserve 30 percent of seats in Parliament to women. 

Reserving a set number of parliamentary seats for women aspiring for political office emerged among the proposals that Seherelela residents put before the.

Seherelela resident resident Mr Itemogeng Seokamo made the proposal to Presidential Commission of Enquiry into the Review of the yesterday when it consulted with the village’s residents. 

He argued that of the current 57 constituencies, 17 should be reserved for women for women politicians to guarantee their better representation in parliament.

He advocated a similar model for council seats to ensure that even at local authority level, women got fair representation. 

In an interview with BOPA after following his presentation, Mr Seokamo explained that setting aside 30 per cent of parliamentary constituencies to be contested for amongst women politicians only would guarantee representation and allow them opportunity to contribute to the nurturing and promotion of democracy in the country.

Mr Seokamo further said that the law should also allow for an upward adjustment of the figure with every subsequent general election until women attained a 50 per cent representation in parliament and at local authorities level.

“This should start at party level with political formations being required by law to conduct their primary elections in a manner that will allow women that 30 per cent representation. Members of political parties will pick their strongest candidates, who will then tussle for political office with fellow women from other parties,” he stated.

On whether the provision would not result in holders of political office being chosen primarily on the basis of gender and not on merit, he indicated that the same provision should also set out minimum educational qualifications for contenders.

Regarding the criteria that would inform which constituencies should exempt for male contest, Mr Seokamo explained that the law would have to provide for constituencies to be picked on a rotational basis with every election.

“The current system where women at times find way into parliament through special nomination by the President is not doing enough in terms of improving women representation. That arrangement should be left for other marginalised groups such as the youth and People Living with Disability (PLWDs),” he contended.

Submitting his proposals, one of Seherelela’s tribal leaders Kgosi Onalenna Jane requested that basic education be made compulsory by law.  He said this would improve Botswana’s literacy rate and permit every Motswana to attain basic literacy.

Kgosi Jane indicated that the Ministries of Basic Education, and Health and Wellness would have to work collaboratively in the enforcement of compulsory education.

“When a child is born, the Ministry of Health and Wellness should forward the child’s registration credentials to that of Basic Education, which would then keep track of the child and ensure that they start school as soon as they reach school-going age,” he said.

He, in the same vein decried what he termed the neglect of non-formal education, which he pointed out was despite the contribution that the programme had made in the past in availing opportunities for Batswana to attain basic literacy.

Making submissions on behalf of the Ministers’ Fraternal, Mr Moitshepi Ontiretse proposed that the law should give the ministry under the ambit of which issues of religion would at any time fall, the legal authority to take action against churches found to be violating the rights of their congregants.

He said there were continuing incidents of church leaders teaching church members against exercising their right to seek and access medical services, something that he said was often detrimental to the health of members of the public. 

Mr Ontiretse also suggested that the law should provide for the testing of prophets to ascertain their authenticity to protect church members and the public against being mislead by the name.