11 Mar 2024

Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Mabuse Pule says Section 13 of the Local Government Act provides that a council shall consist of elected or specially nominated members. Mr Pule said nominated members were appointed by the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, noting that the dispensation was as old as the formation of councils and that it remained relevant in modern-day Botswana.

He said he viewed it in a positive light because where there was capacity or capability gaps in local representation, the dispensation was used to augment such shortcomings with a view to achieve good local governance.

Currently, Mr Pule said there were a complement of 119 nominated members in all councils, adding that political affiliation was not a requirement at any stage of the nomination process, and that the final decision was based on the suitability and or the attributes of the individual in terms of closing an identified gap. Therefore, he said they did not have numbers of nominated councillors along party lines.

Francistown South MP, Mr Wynter Mmolotsi had asked the minister the reasons why Botswana still needed nominated councillors; the current number of nominated councillors and the number of those from the ruling party and those from opposition parties respectively. ENDS