20 Apr 2022

Giving the corpse of executed murder convicts to their families for burial is important as it will provide closure to them, a Charles Hill residents Mr Ramodimoosi Keakopa has told the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into Review of the Constitution.

Mr Keakopa submitted at the commissions meeting with residents of Charleshill yesterday, that denying families the opportunity to bury their dead was cruel. He nonetheless said he still supported the death penalty.

“Keletso ke gore capital punishment e tswelele pele e ntse hela jalo, e seka ya ba ya tswa. Mme ke tsaya gore motho yo atlhotsweng a bolawa o a ba a weditse katlholo ya gagwe, jaanong batsadi a ba neelwe mmele ba e go o fitlha ba seka ba bogisiwa,” he said. A number of speakers supported him.

On others, Mr Keakopa suggested that the date of general elections should be clearly spelt out by the law.

Mr Keakopa also called for autonomy of all parastatals and for them to be led by people appointed by the national assembly.

Ms Dorothy Stanley called for repeal of any legal instrument that could be found to entertain same-sex relationships. Allowing it would only encourage people to demand recognition of other outrageous practices, she argued.

“A re tseeng tsela ya Modimo, e seng jalo e tlaa re go ise go e kae e bo jaanong batho ba buwa gore batho ba letlelelwe go ratana le diphologolo,” she warned, meaning soon people would be campaigning for decriminalisation of bestiality.

Mr Moses Mponang proposed that the constitution should fully recognise dikgosi as executive leaders and give them commensurate power.   Failure to duly recognise dikgosi was one of the many reasons families were breaking apart, he said.

Mr Osupile Doctor suggested more should be done to ensure protection of whistle blowers, if the country should hope to win the war against crime.

Mr Tommy Mayane, who is a young farmworker said the constitution should protect the welfare of farmworkers as they were often-times exploited by their employers.

“A molao motheo o re thuse rona ba re senang babueledi, o re thuse diagente tsa goromente tse di ko bo Maun di tle mo bo Ghanzi ba re thuse dikgang, re a tsiediwa re tseelwa dilo,” he said, essentially asking that legal aid should be made available to farmworkers so they may be protected from exploitation.

Mr Edward Stanley called for proscription of sale of land to foreigners arguing Batswana would otherwise find themselves landless in the future.

Kgosi Mbao Kahiko III shared most of his subjects’ sentiments. In particular he stressed the need to recognise all merafe as equals.

Doing so, he said, would promote the cultures of different tribes, their sense of belonging as well as foster national unity.

“Go ka re thusa thata re le merafe ka go farologana go ikitse le go tlhaloganya ditso le dingwao tsa rona, mme ebile merafe ga e kitla e kopisa dingwao tsa merafe e mengwe e e eteletseng pele,” he said in closing. ENDS