08 May 2022

Ntlo ya Dikgosi should hold fort to prevent a power vacuum whenever parliament is dissolved.

Kgosi Olebetse Phemelo of Sorilatholo said this when making submissions to the Presidential Commission of Inquiry on the Review of the Constitution in Salajwe on Friday.

Kgosi Phemelo, who proposed that Ntlo ya Dikgosi should be made the fourth arm of government, further suggested that the house should also hold fort in the time a new president was yet to be sworn.

“A e re fa palamente e phatlaladiwa, Ntlo ya Dikgosi e nne yone e e tsayang boikarabelo jwa go tlhokomela lefatshe e tshwaragane le ba sesole ga mmogo le ba sepodisi. E tlaa re fa tautona a sena go tsena a bo jaanong a tsaya marapo,” he said.

In addition, he suggested the composition of Ntlo ya Dikgosi should be reviewed to bring uniformity and equality in the representation of tribes across the country in the house.

He proposed that in place of the current arrangement, membership to the institution should be through election, where each parliamentary constituency would elect a representative to sit in Ntlo ya Dikgosi.

Further asking for the dissolution of the existing tribal territories, Kgosi Phemelo observed that several tribes had been swallowed up within the territories, which made them feel inferior as citizens.

Kgosi Phemelo said the tribal territories should instead be turned into administrative blocs within which all tribes had equal standing.

Kgosi Moala Gaerupe of Salajwe had earlier expressed discontent at the plight of bogosi, alleging that the institution was being pushed into obscurity.

“The work of dikgosi is gradually fading away and we are approaching an era where magistrates will preside over cases in customary courts.

The constitution should therefore be deliberate in protecting bogosi,” he said, noting how the hearing of even minor cases by magistrates’ courts continued to threaten the existence of bogosi as that rendered dikgosi redundant.

On the death penalty, Kgosi Gaerupe proposed that it be retained.

He however asked for the law to bar murder suspects from bail, arguing granting them bail was akin to placing their rights over those of the deceased and their loved ones.
Salajwe resident Mr Jimmy Thukwi noted that the country was losing out on the opportunity to exploit the expertise of retired judges.

Thus, he proposed for the establishment of a House of Lords which would comprise retired judges whose duty would be to advise the government.

Another resident Mr Bakgoni Dithupe said non-recognition of some of Botswana’s tribes was a shame and must be dealt away with.

“Fela jaaka re ne re ntsha ba-nale-bogole kwa mahure, a molao-motheo o ntshe meratshwana kwa mahure o e bee mo matlhong a batho,” he said, arguing the law now recognised people with disability and had facilitated their integration.

The same should happen with tribes not mentioned as among the major ones. ENDS