Addressing a delegation from Lesotho recently in Gaborone, Kgosi Puso said Ntlo Ya Dikgosi has for a long time been influential in the implementation of law and governance of the country as it has partnered with parliament in contributing to the bills that are debated.

Kgosi Puso told the delegation that Ntlo Ya Dikgosi is an institution that is highly recognised by government as cabinet ministers make part of the discussions that take place in the house.

He told the delegation that the legislature also works hand in hand with the House in every important aspect that affects the livelihoods of people .He elaborated that the House sits alongside Parliament and makes contributions to bills after their first reading before they are debated in Parliament.

He also said that there is no way the country’s constitution can be amended without the input of Ntlo Ya Dikgosi.“This shows just how government highly recognises Ntlo ya Dikgosi as a partner in development,” he told the delegation.

He also told the delegation that the House is constituted solely by traditional leaders who form part of the country’s governance at local level.He said traditional leaders play a very important role in service provision to the people as they are the ones who deal directly with the communities on a daily basis. 

A delegation from Lesotho’s Ministry of Local Government visited Botswana from February 17 to 21 on a benchmarking exercise. Their mission is to establish the role and functions of Dikgosi and their relationship with Local Government structures.

The delegation also came to learn the role of Ntlo Ya Dikgosi in relation to local governance and the National Assembly.The leader of the delegation, who is the director of Decentralisation in Lesotho’s Local Government Ministry, Ms Mating Mahooana said they had come to also learn tribal administration issues.

Ms Mahooana said her country only held its first local government elections for councilors in 2005 and therefore, they came to Botswana to learn how to harmonise the local government leadership with that of tribal leadership as well as their participatory role in governance.

“Lesotho has since realised that Botswana has harmonized well the symbiotic relationship between local government structures and therefore intends to learn, especially on how the ministry handles chieftaincy issues,” she said.

For his part, Lesotho principal chief and Member of Senate, Chief Khoabane Theko applauded the Ntlo Ya Dikgosi for its leadership and the diligent way in which it is handling its mandate. “Botswana has held on to its indigenous ways of living and so jealously guarded against infiltration of outside influence into its culture,” he said.

Mr Theko said it is very important that traditional leaders and the institutions that they work under are never undermined as they have proved that they play an important role in the development of the people, especially at the grass roots. The delegation among others, visited Manyana village, the Kgatleng District Council as well as the Ngwaketse tribal administration in Kanye. Ends