29 Mar 2022

Time has arrived for the establishment of an election tribunal to handle disputes that arise from general elections. 

Sankoyo residenst Mr Oabile Chombo made the suggestion during a kgotla meeting addressed by the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into Review of the constitution in Sankoyo yesterday. 

The tribunal, he said would expedite cases as the courts of law were saddled with backlog of unresolved cases, and often delayed in hearing complaints arising from elections. 

“The tribunal could be designed as an ad hoc entity that becomes active only after every general elections and be allowed to go on respite afterwards to avoid unnecessary costs that come with running such an organisation,” he said. 

Furthermore, Mr Chombo called for constitutional entrenchment of the rights to education and health. Earlier on during his welcome remarks, Kgosi Gokgathang Moalosi accentuated the need to empower dikgosi. 

He argued inception the coming a democratic government stripped dikgosi of their powers so much so that the institution had lost its significance. 

He therefore called for establishment of a Ministry of Traditional Leaders and Culture, which he argued would restore help to restore the institutions dignity. 

“Re tshwanetse gape ra nna le regional Ntlo-Ya-Dikgosi e mo go yone Kgosi-kgolo ya kgaolo e e rebolang motho yo o tla a bong a eteletse magosi a kgaolo pele,” he said, meaning there should be a regional house of chiefs in each district. 

He proposed the same structure should be used be settle dispute touching bogosi. 

Kgosi Moalosi was also of the view that councils should be made autonomous, and have executive powers, which he opined would foster developments in rural areas. 

Sharing the views of residents of Sankoyo, Mr Mpho Kedikilwe expressed the appreciation of fellow residents for having been accorded their democratic right to have a say in the re-formulation of the constitution of the land. 

The residents, he said, felt that a sitting president should be barred from engaging in business as doing so may give such a person advantage over other people by virtue of his or her position. 

“Re eletsa gape gore dikgang tsa bogodu jwa leruo di sekiwe ko kgotleng,” he said expressing the wish of residents to have stock-theft cases tried at the kgotla. 

The people of Sankoyo also wanted to see law criminalise witchcraft. 

He said the residents believed that witchcraft was the primary reason many people who went missing were often found with body parts missing. 

However, one Mr Leonard Kelesamile who wanted the constitution to ensure total support of Batswana businesses by government rubbished the enactment of any provision that would recognised witchcraft. 

“Boloi ke evil spirit, Batswana ke Bakeresete,” he said curtly. Said Ms Messiah Samakata on land allocation.

“Re kopa gape gore molao-motheo o pateletse puso go abela motho setsha pele ga ngwaga tse pedi di wela,” she said also, meaning plot allocations should be made within two years of a person’s application. 

Mr Mosenkeng Mvwe said she was opposed to same sex marriage and said it should never be allowed. 

Mr Gaesengwe Paul wanted the constitution to coerce the government to develop communities leaving in the heart of tourism arguing it beat logic why such communities were remained poor while the sector was the second revenue earner after diamonds. ENDS