06 Jul 2022

Sir Seretse Khama Day should be renamed heroes day in recognition of all deceased Batswana who have had significant contribution to nation building. 

At a consultative meeting which the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the Review of the Constitution addressed at Gaborone North’s Broadhurst customary court Wednesday, area resident Reverend Thabo Mampane said the law should acknowledge the role that other Batswana have had in shaping the nation. Thus, he identified Sir Seretse Khama Day as the most suitable day in which all could be remembered. “Sir Seretse Khama Day should be turned into heroes day. 

We should bear in mind that it is not only politicians who have had a role to play in making this nation what it is today. For instance, we have had many members of the clergy whose role in building this nation needs to be acknowledged in some way,” he said. 

To the discontent of some members of the audience who loudly protested the point he raised next as not forming part of their submissions, Reverend Mampane, who presented on behalf of the constituency’s residents, advocated for same-sex marriage to be given the green light. 

He said the law should bestow members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex (LGBTQI) community with the right to choose for themselves the types of family they desired. 

Still on behalf of residents, another representative Mr Jonas Pelonomi asked for the restoration of dikgosi’s powers to allow them to play a more significant role in nation building. 

Making bogosi the fourth arm of government would be one way of restoring the relevance of the institution, he said, and added that dikgosi’s recognition by law should also endow Ntlo ya Dikgosi with executive powers. 

“Dikgosi di bereka morafe, ka jalo di tshwanetse di tsenngwe mo molaong, di nne karolo ya bone ya puso. Mo godimo ga moo, di tshwanetse tsa fiwa dithata tse di lekanang le tsa dikarolo tse tharo tse di leng teng.” In addition, dikgosi should also enjoy perks such as official residences, Mr Pelonomi said. 

Mr Mosimanegape Koosaletse concurred with the call for dikgosi to be recognised, and that in acknowledgement of their significance, they should indeed be afforded official residences as well as official vehicles. 

On pensioners’ welfare, one Ms Patience Letshwiti asked for the law to give some reprieve to its older section of the population by exempting the elderly from payment of certain taxes. Ms Letshwiti said pensioners had contributed greatly to the development of the country, hence they should not be over-burdened with taxes in their old age.

 Mr Michael Modise spoke on the need for court presidents to be acknowledged by the law. He said such recognition should come with eligibility by court presidents to assume membership of Ntlo ya Dikgosi. 

“Dikgosi in urban areas should also enjoy membership of Ntlo ya Dikgosi just like their compatriots from rural areas,” he said. 

Proposing for the easing of conditions of adoption, Ms Ellen Ndaba said because of the many conditions, the adoption process was unduly long and was therefore not serving the interests of either the potential adoptive parents or the children up for adoption. 

On behalf of People with Disability (PWD), Mr Taboka Keabonye proposed for the constitution to give this section of the population the right to land ownership. Mr Keabonye said PWD were marginalised hence the law needed to both entrench and enforce their rights. ENDS