05 Jul 2022

 Any person desiring to become president or vice president of Botswana must declare all their assets before taking on their responsibilities. 

A Jwaneng resident, Ms Boniswa Bayane, made the submission before the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the Review of the Constitution in Jwaneng yesterday. 

The two should, in addition hold tertiary qualification, she said, adding there should be no immunity for a sitting president.

The law of declaration of assets according to Ms Bayane, should extend to MPs and councillors. Another resident, Mr Joseph Mpudi proposed that magosi and former statesmen should be barred from participating in politics. 

Elderly Mr Moshe Gare, said the refrain “Tsogang, tsogang! Banna, tsogang!” in the National Anthem was a deviation from the original song by the late Mr Kgalemang Tumediso Motsete’s creation and was “an insult to the men folk”. 

He suggested Botswana should be called Kgalagadi, saying that was its proper name. 

Ms Keneilwe Kepu proposed positions for Village and Ward Development Committees should be advertised for members of the community to apply. 

That, she said, would encourage those selected to perform to their best of ability, adding the current system was producing members who had no commitment to their work. 

An environmental vanguard, Ms Rosemary Ntenege said there was urgent need to have stringent laws against indiscriminate waste disposal. 

Mr Maitseo Mantirise proposed a law that would deal severely with ritual murderers. 

For his part, Mr Kago Mabolokanye called for tribal equality in Ntlo ya Dikgosi. 

During the interest group session, Mr Joseph Mpudi complained about disparity in sizes of land allocated to crop farmers across the country, and called for a standard for all. 

Southern Young Farmers Association’s member, Mr Onthusitse Bakoko proposed that plots for production should be allotted in clusters, something he said would help ease the job of service providers.

 “A lefatshe la temo le neelwe batho go lebilwe bokgoni,” he said stating that over half of production land remained barren because it had been issued to people with no passion for farming. ENDS