09 Mar 2022

Making Ntlo ya Dikgosi a fourth arm of the government would enhance the role of dikgosi in society and make bogosi appealing. This would in turn encourage dikgosi to stay with the institution.

A Mochudi resident, Mr Mosweu Pilane said at a consultative meeting by the Presidential Commission of Enquiry into Review of the Constitution Wednesday, that increasingly dikgosi were running for political office because in contrast to the legislature, bogosi remained insignificant in the eyes of the law.

Mr Pilane reasoned that by elevating bogosi to the level of the three existing arms of government, the constitution would lend relevance to it.

He said with their voice audible and their contribution to the nurturing of the nation recognised by the law, dikgosi would have no reason to jump ship to politics.

Raising a different issue still affecting bogosi, Mr Ramogana Madisa proposed that dikgosi be given the sole jurisdiction of the administration of deceased persons’ estates.

He observed that the current arrangement where this was done by the High Court resulted in a lot of backlog, which would not be the case if dikgosi arbitrated.

Another resident Ms Ntikwe Motlotle noted that the recognition of only eight tribes, as contained in Section 78 of the constitution fomented tribalism, and must be reviewed. Ms Motlotle said such tribalism manifested in different ways such as in the workplace where supervisors at times treated their juniors differently on the basis of tribal identity.

On a related issue of tribes, she implored the law to make provision for the use of different local languages in the education system with a view to salvage to improving academic results.

Ms Motlotle proposed that the education system should harness the power of technology and deploy in schools computers with translating capability to convert material presented in English and Setswana into the respective mother-tongues of learners.

This, she indicated, would enhance learners’ level of understanding of academic material and consequently translate into improved academic results.

On children adopted by their biological parent’s spouse, Ms Motlotle said with the objective to safeguard the rights of such children against abuse, the law should enjoin adoptive parents to sign documentation binding them against pursuing sexual relationships with the former.

Ms Senyana Moje castigated the law for what she termed bias towards murder convicts upon whom custodial sentences had been passed.

She said after denying another person their right to life, the prisons and rehabilitation system rewarded the convicts with opportunities that afforded them a better life upon completion of their prison terms.

“They are afforded educational opportunities and they leave prison armed with certificates which then allow them to lead better lives. This is wrong as it puts their rights over those of the deceased,” Ms Moje noted.

Mr Godfrey Thekiso called for the curtailing of the president’s powers particularly with regard to the nomination of specially-elected members of parliament (MPs).

Mr Thekiso said it was improper for constituencies to elect their preferred parliamentary representatives only for the president to pick nominated MPs when assembling his cabinet.

He argued  the arrangement made a mockery of Botswana’s democracy. ENDS