08 Mar 2022

The supreme law of the land should extend capital punishment to serial rapists, says Mr Mohau Poshudi.

He said this when making submissions before the Presidential Commission of Enquiry into Review of the Constitution on behalf of residents of Tlhareseleele yesterday.

Mr Mohau said that sentencing serial rapists could just be what the doctor ordered to reduce or stop the escalating incidents of rape.

He also submitted also that cabinet members should not be selected from among sitting Members of Parliament (MPs) as that nullified any suggestion there was separation of powers between the two.

Choosing ministers from among MPs as was the case at the moment, brought reproach upon Parliament and made a mockery of what it stood for, he argued. He also called for recall of a sitting president if he/she failed in their mandate.

“It is the wish of the people of Tlhareseleele that the constitution should have a provision to recall a sitting president in case he/she fails to deliver to the aspirations of the electorates,” he said.

Rakhuna representative, Mr Ikgopoleng Mogopodi who agreed with almost all suggestions by the people of Tlhareseleele, questioned the idea of paying a sitting allowance to both councillors and MPs, saying the arrangement deviated from the principle of shrewd financial stewardship.

He argued legislators and councillors were already being paid for doing their job, and there could be no plausible justification for paying them a sitting allowance.

To to this end, he proposed there should be a law against such ‘misappropriation of funds’ so the money could be diverted to areas where it was needed the most. Ms Modiegi Seleka who spoke on behalf of Pitsane and Pitsanephotloko expressed concern over ‘regular cabinet reshuffles’ and called for the enactment of a law that would ensure the exercise was only done after every five years. She also called for autonomy of the Village Development Committee.

The law, she said should empower the VDC so that it managed the constituency development fund under direct supervision of the council. “Members of the VDC should also be salaried because they expend a lot of time and energy running the affairs of the public,” she said.

Moreover, Ms Seleka advocated the establishment of a law that would facilitate effective profiling of criminals; something she said would make it easy for law enforcement agencies to nab wrong-doers especially repeat offenders.

Earlier on when making his welcome remarks, Kgosi Francis Letshikhoana of Tlhareseleele called for a tough law that could deter cross-border crime that had become rampant in his village. Kgosi Letshikhoana stated also that the constitution should also provide for the government to be held liable to damage caused to vehicles as a result of bad roads. ENDS