02 Oct 2022

Government will do a comprehensive analysis of the recently submitted Presidential Commission of Inquiry on the Review of the Constitution report.

    The analysis  would be fully informed by the opinions or recommendations from Batswana during consultations over the past eight months, President Mokgweetsi Masisi said Thursday upon receiving the report.

He expressed optimism that the report represented the views of the entire nation and articulated Batswana’s appraisal of the constitution.

The commission was appointed on December 17 last year in fulfillment of President Masis’s 2019 general election campaign promise to undertake  a comprehensive review of the Botswana Constitution.

President Masisi commended  commissioners for their patriotism in executing their mandate within the stipulated time frame and within the context of the country’s values and ethos.

“It is a great honour to applaud the entire commission on behalf of Batswana, for delicately carrying out the commission of inquiry on the constitutional review in a democratic and transparent manner,” President Masisi said.

The commissioners were also praised for being the first citizens to play a meaningful role in the constitutional review process.

“One should be mindful of the fact that the majority of Batswana were not included in the drafting of the current constitution since it was done during the colonial era hence it was only right for government to carry out an extensive review of the constitution going into the country’s 60th independence anniversary,” he said.

 The commission, he said, was built on Botswana’s principles and values of promoting and protecting people’s rights, promoting equality, national unity and democracy as well as respect of others’ opinions.

He said the entire exercise epitomised the principles of democracy, transparency and the rule of law that Botswana was renowned for.

For his part, the commission chairperson, former Justice Maruping Dibotelo said the exercise was characterised by safeguarding people’s interests, nurturing democracy and observance of societal mores.

“The commission traversed all the 57 constituencies to ensure that they included all Batswana and certify that everyone’s interests are well represented in the review process,” he said.

The report was therefore a true reflection of the opinions held by the majority of Batswana regarding the constitution and their desires towards its improvement, said  Justice Dibotelo. Ends