05 Jun 2022

  Botswana should be careful not to rush into signing and ratifying international treaties says, Mr Lovemore Badi of Sowa Town. Mr Badi said this when making his submissions before the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the Review of the Constitution in Sowa Town on Friday.

A case in point was the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of Wild Fauna Flora, which had become a stumbling in the country’s bid to sell its huge ivory stockpile, he said.

 “A molao-motheo o dire gore makgotla a lefatshe la Botswana le nnang karolo ya one a sekasekiwe gore ga ana a re baya ka fa mosing.

Gompieno lefatshe la rona le rwele mekowa ya dinaka tsa ditlou mme ga le ka ke la rekisa kwa ntle ga go rebolwa ke lekgotla la CITES,” he said.

 On others, Mr Badi suggested that a Member of Parliament should be someone with a degree in any field.

Another speaker, Mr Gabontogele Twaelang appealed for stringent sentence against people who committed serious crimes such as rape and stock theft.

 He said in addition to custodial sentences such offenders must also be given corporal punishment.

Mr Maenge Maenge wanted the constitution to make it mandatory for the date of the next general elections to be declared subsequent to announcement of polling results.

On political funding, Mr Maenge said the time had come for the state to finance parties.

 He also said there was need to set up an election tribunal whose primary purpose would be to adjudicate on matters emanating from the polls.

 He was also of the view that Botswana needed to have a constitutional court that would deal specifically with matters of the constitution.

“The constitution should also have in it the right to employment which will bind the government to hire people or be held liable in the event it failed to do so,” he said.

Ms Selefane Kinnear said the constitution should unquestionably deal with issues of the welfare of the citizens, in particular workers. She said a substantial number of Botswana were being exploited by unscrupulous employers who paid them them peanuts.

 Mr Kenneth Higgins felt Execution by hanging was barbaric and needed to be repealed forthwith.

He was also opposed the proposal to have direct election of the President saying if given the green light, the reform could spark turmoil. Mr Higgins also opposed same sex marriage and said the constitution should forbid it. ENDS