15 Jun 2022

Promulgating a law for hemp production has been viewed by many people as one of the many economic pathways that could help the country deal with the high employment rate that has especially hit its young population. 

Those who hold the view premise their argument on the fact that not only will this particular economic trajectory help in the creation of jobs but it will also act as a catalyst for the industrialisation that Botswana yearns for. 

One of the vanguards for hemp production Ras Jesus Mosokwe tendered the idea before the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the review of the constitution during a kgotla meeting in Donga in Francistown on Wednesday.

 “Hempe e ka dirisiwa go dira madirelo a diaparo le melemo. Ga ke a re go letlelelwe motokwane,” he said expounding his point. 

On others, Mr Mosokwe shared thoughts held by fellow Batswana that the advent of politics had stripped dikgosi of their powers including the traditional prerogative to allocate land. 

To this end, Mr Mosokwe relayed the status quo ought to change so that dikgosi could once more allot land.

 He was also not happy that in Botswana the Roman-Dutch law had been given an upper hand when put in juxtapose the customary law. 

Another Ms Simangaliso Nelson appealed for the mother law to protect citizens against widespread incidents of missing persons. 

“Re timelelwa ke batho! A go ntshiwe kgang ya gore motho o batliwa hela mo malatsing a le masome a mabedi le motso mme ere a sa bonwe a be letsholo le phatlala,” she appealed. 

Mr Disang Matsoma disparaged the idea behind the pension fund, which he said had not lived up to its expectations.

 Instead of the fund coming to the aid of pensioners to improve their livelihoods, Mr Matsoma argued that the opposite was true. 

“A dirang madi ao?,” he asked. Also, Mr Matsoma was not happy about growing instances where classified secrets of the state were flashing the news media, saying it was an eye-sore and needed to be protected by the constitution. 

Mr Mark Dube suggested that the constitution should have entrenched in its pages a piece of legislation that compels the government to subsidise fuel prices to cushion motorists during tough economic times. On prostitution, Mr Dube expressed disdain that street prosecution set a bad example to young people especially young school girls, who were more adventurous. 

He thus implored the law to come to the rescue of the girl-child by criminalising this act. 

He was also vehemently opposed to the idea of same-sex romance.

 The City of Francistown former mayor, Mr Peter Ngoma proposed as follows; direct election of the president, Mayors, and Council Chairpersons, the autonomy of councils to foster rural development, tribal equality, and that the power to allot land should be returned to the dikgosi as was the case during pre-independence. 

On capital punishment Mr Shingai Matebu made himself categorically clear, “Yo o bolaileng le ene a a ye ga maoto hunyela.”

The same punishment according to him should be extended to women who throw away newborn babies. 

A representative of the seven wards that make up Francistown East, Mr Simisani Ramaotwana wanted the supreme law of the land to ensure that the pension fund benefitted pensioners in the true sense of the word while they were still alive. 

Also, the commission learned through him that the residents wanted the law to take stringent measures against thieves and the people who bought stolen goods as a crime-busting measure. 

“Ra re a bagodi ba seka ba kgethisiwa jaaka go diragala mo nakong eno le gore go seka ga letlelelwa lenyalo la batho ba bong jo bo tshwanang,” he said. 

Another people’s representative, Mr Moatlhodi Nthebolang suggested that the post of headman of arbitration should be established in Urban Centres. ENDS