21 Dec 2022

Justice and accountability are important values to be nurtured and promoted within a constitutional democracy .

MPs said on Tuesday, as the Parliament approved Group 4 of the Transitional National Development Plan (TNDP) budget proposals.

The Chapter 4 Public Investment Programme was presented by the Minister for State President Mr Kabo Morwaeng and Minister of Justice Mr Machana Shamukuni with focus on various institutions under the ambit of their ministries.

The Minister of Transport and Public Works, Mr Eric Molale said good governance was important and had been the hallmark practice of the governing Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) over the years. He said the TNDP was an example of how the BDP government sought to empower citizens as part of the mandate they were given by the electorate.

He said the Reset Agenda was an acknowledgement that over the years, there were some things which could have been done differently hence government worked on a programme to ensure  efficient delivery. 

Mr Molale said the Chapter 4 plan would improve the wheels of governance and justice in the country, and lamented that opposition MPs were critical towards such interventions.

Assistant Minister of Agriculture, Mr Molebatsi Molebatsi said the establishment of the National Planning Commission (NPC) which separated the planning and budgeting function was a welcome development, and also praised the appointment of seasoned administrators to the unit.

Mr Molebatsi said he had wished for the number of parliamentary constituencies to be increased, and called for the Delimitation Commission to speed up its work ahead of the next general elections.

He called for a permanent district officer to be stationed in Mmadinare, stating that the village and its surrounding areas have a sizable population but have to travel to Bobonong to access some services rendered by district officers.

Mr Molebatsi also said it would be a good intervention to have the digitisation of case management systems to speed up the administration of justice in the country.

Francistown South MP, Mr Wynter Mmolotsi called for the better resourcing of Parliament as well as the National Assembly to be made independent of the Ministry of State President.

Mr Mmolotsi also said the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) should also be granted greater independence, stating that for the Secretary of the IEC to be impartial, the President should not play a part in the appointment of that officer. He also called for a fixed election date.

Mr Mmolotsi said the counting of boxes at a polling station instead of carrying them to the main constituency counting centres was a necessary reform that would improve the electoral process.

Jwaneng/Mabutsane legislator, Mr Mephato Reatile said judicial independence in a democracy was sacrosanct, and the judiciary as the last line of defence for citizens’ rights needed to be protected from external interference. Ends