28 Apr 2026

Government has marked a significant legislative milestone after passing 17 bills and three key national policies during the recently adjourned session of the 13th Parliament, a major acceleration of the national transformative agenda.

In the endeavour to put in place an effective legislative and policy framework to support the execution of such an agenda, the 17 bills from the 13th Parliament were passed into Acts of Parliament and will only become laws once assented to by the President, as provided for in Section 87 of the Constitution.

Briefing the media on Monday, Minister for State President, Defence and Security, Mr Moeti Mohwasa, stated that the meeting also passed three government policies, reflecting significant progress from the first meeting, which only passed six government bills.

Minister Mohwasa noted that it was government’s commitment to continuously review and renew laws and policies to ensure that they remained relevant to the national development agenda, as well as emerging regional and international issues that required adjustment if the country was to become a well-respected nation.

“As the Umbrella for Democratic Change government, we have embarked on the important task of reviewing existing laws to promote inclusive growth and quality lives which was the overall theme of the UDC’s 2024 election manifesto,” Mr Mohwasa said.

He stated that government would, in reviewing existing laws or policies, never lose sight of the human rights-focused agenda of the UDC government.

Mr Mohwasa further noted that the passing of the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2025 (Bill No. 14 of 2025) was one of the milestone government achievements in line with nurturing human rights advocacy.

Of the 66 legislators in attendance on the day, 50 voted in favour, while 15 voted against and one MP did not participate in the voting exercise.

Gazetted in July 2025, the Bill sought to amend the Constitution to remove constitutional jurisdiction from the High Court, providing a specialised court for constitutional interpretation and the validity of laws. The Bill also sought to amend the Constitution in order to establish a Constitutional Court as part of the country’s judicial system and final arbiter on constitutional matters, aiming to protect fundamental rights and strengthen judicial checks.

With the country currently operating on a budget deficit, Mr Mohwasa noted that it was equally important for Parliament to pass the second reading of the Stock, Bonds and Treasury Bill (Amendment) Bill, 2026 (Bill No. 2 of 2026), which aimed to amend Section 20 of the Stock, Bonds and Treasury Bills Act of 2005 by raising the statutory ceiling on outstanding public debt and government-guaranteed debt from 40 to 60 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

He said Parliament also adopted the National Youth Policy 2026-2036 and its Implementation Plan, a defining step forward for young people which was also testament of government full intent to transform the livelihoods of the youth.

The National Youth Policy 2026-2036 aims to address that which had not worked for young people in past policies and aligned itself with National Vision 2036, National Development Plan 12 (NDP 12 and the Botswana Economic Transformation Programme (BETP).

The framework is anchored on five strategic pillars with strong emphasis on digital transformation and economic inclusion, by integrating STEAM and TVET education with AI and innovation, the policy would to prepare youth for a future dominated by technology while simultaneously fostering entrepreneurial skills and global competitiveness.

Minister Mohwasa further stated that Parliament also adopted the Revised National Policy on Rural Development as well as the National Agricultural Policy of 2025.

Regarding to private members’ motions, he stated that 25 motions were submitted for consideration, of which four were negated, three were adopted, while the debate on two motions was not concluded at the time Parliament adjourned on April 17. He indicated that of 447 questions submitted, 293 were noticed while 281 were answered. ENDS