22 May 2022

An ideal constitution is the one that will sanction polygamous marriage and confer freedom upon men to marry as many wives as they can irrespective of their economic status.

Doing so according to Ms Keikantsemang Sebedi would help curb high incidents of divorce that were threatening the existence of the institution of marriage in Botswana.

Not only that, if polygamy was enacted into law, the issue of fatherless children and abject poverty faced by single parents, who are often women, would become a thing of the past.

Ms Sebedi was speaking during a Kgotla meeting addressed by the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the Review of the Constitution here on Friday.

“Ke kopa gore banna ba nyale nyalo e e pataganang ka fa ba ka kgonang ka teng ba sa sikasikiwe itsholelo ya bone. Borre ga ba kgone ke sone se ba tlhalang. Go nyala lefufa go tla nyeletsa seemo sa bana ba ba senang bo rraabo le lone lehuma tota.”

On other issues, Ms Sebedi suggested that rich people should be excluded from old age pension and that the scheme should be enjoyed from age 60 and not 65 as was the case at the moment.

Another resident, Mr Pelotelele Thaodi called on the constitution to institute a land audit.

He submitted also that polling day should be written in the supreme law of the land for purposes of fairness and transparency. He said further that due care must be exercised to ensure the election date did not disenfranchise electorates.

Although a proponent of dual citizenship due to its many advantages, Mr Thaodi relayed however that such a law must not shy away from denying those vying for citizenship of more than one country certain privileges.

Mr Thaodi also called for establishment of People’s Complaints Court, which should preside over any administrative grievances from the public.

The organ, he said, would be an equivalent of the Ombudsmen but solely focused on complaints from the general public.

Mr Thaodi suggested the president should be saved the trouble of signing the death warrant of those sentenced to hang.

Once condemned, such people should simply be taken to the gallows.

On Bogosi and politics, Mr Thaodi was unequivocal: “The two should not mix, they should continue to run parallel to each other.”

For his part, Mr Moremi Mareka proposed the oversight institutions should be autonomous and be removed from under the Office of the President.

He also proposed that the constitution should make political party funding mandatory.

Mr Mareka also suggested there should be a constitutional court.

He also suggested ministers should be non-aligned people chosen from among technocrats, to allow members of parliament to focus on developing their constituencies. ends