30 Mar 2022

Section 54 of the constitution should be reviewed to allow traditional doctors and ministers of religion to form part of the president’s advisory committee on the pardon of convicts. 

Shorobe resident Mr Tom Sanyedi told the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into Review of the Constitution Tuesday that having spiritual advisors in the committee would afford it the opportunity to assess the merits of any pleas for clemency brought before it from different viewpoints. 

Mr Sanyedi submitted that his proposed additions to the committee being persons who operated in the spirit realm, could shed light on whether or not it was advisable from a spiritual perspective for the applicant to be pardoned. 

Further to that, he requested for the law to make provision for the prosecution of people found to be practising witchcraft as well as those found in possession of human body parts. 

A representative of People with Disability (PWD) Mr Peter Samoxago appealed for the law to recognise them by having their rights entrenched in the constitution. 

In addition, he said PWD should be protected especially against sexual abuse and exploitation. 

Representing the Ministers Fraternal, Mr Odirile Chaba said while the church enjoyed freedom of worship, the law should at the same time ensure that liberty was not abused.  Mr Chaba said the mushrooming of churches was in part due to laxity of the law. 

To address this, he proposed that a person should be allowed to set up a new church not more than thrice, as some people who opened churches in succession did so to camouflage criminal activities. BOPA