27 Jul 2022

Wealth creation for Batswana is anchored on the resolve of the government to make economic empowerment a constitutional right. 

It is to this end that the President of Junior Chamber International Botswana (JCI) called for concerted efforts to empower natives as the first step towards the attainment of economic transformation. 

“We indeed believe that the brotherhood of men transcends the sovereignty of nations and we thus welcome the government’s efforts to attract foreign direct investment,” Mr Tumelo Rannau said adding however that such FDI should be preceded by citizens’ economic empowerment. 

He said these views when addressing the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the review of the constitution of Botswana on Tuesday at Maruapula community centre. 

Mr Rannau stated that his organisation was supported the notion of political funding; something he said would go a long way in reducing parties’ dependence on people with deep pockets and with vested interests. 

Also, he relayed that once constituted, political funding would help further entrench transparency and solidify democracy. 

Like many Batswana who had already made their position known on the need to enact a recall clause for political leaders from office, the JCI Botswana president’s view on the matter was that such a clause should not be a preserve for politicians alone but had to be grafted in a way that voters were able to the ones initiating the move. 

He thus proposed that 60 per cent of eligible voters should be able to pass a motion of no confidence on politicians for poor performance. 

Another aspect that needed to have its footprint on the mother law according to Mr Rannau was the law on access to information. In as far as there were ongoing efforts to try and have the bill on the same tabled before Parliament by the government, it was his solemn conviction that this should be a right that was enshrined in the constitution. 

“Any legislation on freedom of information should emanate from the constitution,” he told the commissioners. He advocated for election day to be explicit in the constitution and that the media should be given the privilege by the supreme law of the land to cast their votes alongside security officers as they were an important part of keeping the nation abreast with voting during elections. 

That withstanding, Mr Rannau and Senator Davies Mogapi felt strongly that the commission’s interface with the general community should have been preceded by public awareness on the same to broaden people’s appreciation of the matter. 

They stated also that other mediums or interactive platforms should have been explored to widen the scope of the national debate and solicitation of ideas from Batswana. BOPA