06 Jun 2022

The Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the Review of the Constitution should convene a stakeholder conference prior to making recommendations for submission to the President.

Representative for Mosojane and Mulambakwena villages Mr Leonard Muthetho said at a consultative meeting held in Masunga yesterday that the conference would provide an additional forum for different sections of the society to share their thoughts on the constitution and possibly add more flesh on the deliberations.

The forum, Mr Muthetho noted would afford the commission more diverse views that could enrich the constitutional review process.

“The stakeholder conference would help us ensure that we do not review our constitution based on the views of the same group of people.

We should afford all interested groups and institutions that operate in our country the platform to share their bit,” he pointed out.

Raising an unrelated point, he pleaded for the establishment of the Bukalanga tribal territory in respect of the land in which the Bakalaka reside.

On behalf of Sekakangwe residents, Mr Shepard Mogapi proposed a name change for North East District, suggesting that it should be renamed Bukalanga District in acknowledgement of its inhabitants being largely Bakalaka.

On a different point, he labelled the renewal of Omang cards by persons aged over 65 as an unnecessary cost to government and suggested that it be stopped since at that age one would be at the very dusk of their life.

Mr Darius Nkhwa of Gulubane described the name ‘Bakalaka’ as a misnomer that should be changed.

“Re batla gape gore Bakalanga ba seka ba bidiwa Bakalaka; go baakanngwe ka gore Bakalaka ke sengwe se sele se e seng morafe,” he said, explaining how no attempt should have been made in the first instance to translate the name ‘Bakalanga’ to ‘Bakalaka’.

Mr Gift Otumile, representative for Kalakamati asked that dikgosi be placed at par with one another with respect to their stature as well as levels of responsibility.

“Rona dikgosi tsa rona tsotlhe jaaka re le mo North East jaana di bidiwa dikgosi fela ka lefoko la Setswana, jaanong fa go tla mo ditshwanelong tsa tsone tsa molao mo ga goromente ba bidiwa di sub-chief.

Golo mo ga sub mo rona re le ba Kalakamati ra re go ntshiwe, batho ba ke dikgosi tsa rona ra re di tlotlwe,” he said.

“Le bo le ntsha le one maina a a Sekgoa a, dikgosi tsa rona di bidiwe fela ka lefoko ‘kgosi’, eseng bo arbitration.

E nne leina ‘kgosi’ fela le papamale mo molaong, dikgosi tsa rona di tlotlwe ka seriti se rona re di tlotlang ka sone.” ENDS