04 Apr 2022

Exclusion of the Basarwa tribe from section 78 of the constitution of Botswana has been described as a terrible mistake that must be corrected urgently.

Gudigwa resident, Mr Ditshebo Tsima told the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into Review of the constitution on April 4, that the omission went against the historical fact that Basarwa were the first people not only of Botswana but the rest of sub Saharan Africa.

“Re batla molao-motheo o tlhamalatse kgang ya gore re batho ba ntlha. Gona le mo go tweng merafe e borobabongwe ntswa rona re tsile pele batho ba re fitlhela.

Re batla gore le rona re lemogwe,”he said, expressing the Basarwa’s wish to be duly recognised by the constitution.

Mr Tsima also wanted a law promulgated that would promote Basarwa culture and tradition.

Fellow resident, Mr Morgan Motswana concurred and added such a law should elevate Basarwa to decision making positions.

“Ga re yo mo maemong a boeteledipele re le morafe wa Basarwa, Ka jalo re batla goromente a re direle thulaganyo e e faphegileng e ka yone re ka tsenngwang mo maemong a gore le rona re nne batsaakarolo mo tsamaisong ya lefatshe,” he said.

His was a call for a special dispensation for Basarwa whereby they would be appointed to leadership positions for them to participate in the country’s decision making process.

Earlier-on Mr Collen Tsima who spoke on behalf of the people of Gudigwa said they wanted direct election of the President and that once his or her tenure came to an end, the person should vacate office together with the vice-president.

“We also propose that the house of chiefs be autonomous and that all merafe should be evenly represented in it,” he said.

The morafe, he stated, felt land boards across the country should not be named after any morafe as that tended to polarise people along tribal lines; something he said had the potential to fuel tension and disturb peace.

On the review of the constitution, Mr Tsima and fellow residents were of the view that the exercise should be done every 20 years.

The people of Gudingwa though okayed the death penalty only that they wanted it to be dome swiftly and that culprits should be denied bail.

He echoed others speakers words and called for the envisaged constitution to distinctively recognise Basarwa as the first citizens of the land.

Mr Ndando Ndando was also of the view that amplified affirmative action was the only solution to help bring to par the socio-economy of Basarwa more so the hunter gatherer life that used to sustain the livelihood of the tribe was not viable anymore.

An Elder, Mr Kutlwano Mosotho’s wish was to have dikgosi as members of parliament.

Dikgosi, he said, knew the plight of their subjects better than anyone. “Ha ke ne ke na le dithata mapalamente a kabo e le dikgosi tsa rona ka ba itse ka fa re tshelang ka teng,” he said.

Ms Kehumile Amos called for the law of the land to bar the use of the word ‘Mosarwa’ arguing it was belittling. “Go bidiwa Mosarwa go re paledisa le go Tsamaya mo mmolong,”she said, driving he point home.

She would rather be called a Khoi-san, the original name for the first people. Kgosi Gontso Ngorongwe proposed that the law should make the teaching of religious education in schools mandatory .

He condemned some of the doctrines taught at some churches, saying they were out of synch with the teaching of the bible. ENDS