14 Jul 2026

The Leader of Opposition (LOO), Mr Dumelang Saleshando has called for strengthening of Parliament to ensure it becomes inclusive and reflects the vital role that both government and opposition play in democracy.Speaking at the inaugural official opening of the Third Meeting of the Second Session of the 13th Parliament in Gaborone on Monday, he said Parliament’s greatest asset was public confidence built on fairness, impartiality and integrity. 

Parliament, he said, was where democracy acquired substance, where the aspirations of ordinary citizens were examined, refined and transformed into law.

In addition, Mr Saleshando said Parliament was where government was held accountable, where national consensus was forged despite political differences and where future generations would judge whether they were faithful stewards of the republic.

He further called for the offices of the Speaker and the Clerk to ensure that every parliamentary process inspired trust and treated all members equally, regardless of the offices they might hold and from which side of the aisle they sat.

Mr Saleshando also said the historic occasion reaffirmed that law making was at the heart of the constitutional mandate under Section 86 of the Constitution. 

“The 13th Parliament occupies a unique place in Botswana’s history. For the first time since independence, political power changed hands peacefully through the ballot and not the bullet. That moment was not a victory for one political party over another but a victory for every Motswana who believes that power belongs not to governments, but to the people and a victory for the Constitution that has brought us thus far and needs a full comprehensive review to take us to the next heights,” he noted.

The LOO also underscored the need to prove that democratic change delivered democratic maturity, citing that the government had the responsibility to govern while the opposition had the responsibility to ensure that government governed well. 

Those responsibilities, he said were indispensable, highlighting that the opposition does not exist to oppose progress but existed to improve it. 

Mr Saleshando reiterated that the opposition questioned where necessary, strengthened legislation before it became law, defended the Constitution and held government accountable on behalf of the people, assuring the House that where the government advanced Botswana’s interests, they would have their support.

“Where improvement is needed, it will have our constructive engagement and where the national interest demands it, it will have our principled opposition; that is not obstruction, it is constitutional patriotism,” he said.

He pledged as the opposition to discharge their constitutional responsibilities with dignity, integrity and unwavering commitment to Botswana.

He said they shall scrutinise without hostility, criticise without malice, cooperate without compromising principle and remember that the highest loyalty was owed to Botswana and to the people from whom all constitutional authority flows.

Despite capacity challenges in the Parliamentary Counsel’s office, he said they had six private member bills and applauded fellow opposition MPs who had submitted several private member bills. 

Moreover, he noted that Parliament could not effectively fulfil its primary responsibility of making laws without an adequately resourced office, saying the issue demanded urgent attention. 

He cited that it was unsustainable for an institution whose core mandate was law-making to rely on only two lawyers serving both the National Assembly and Ntlo Ya Dikgosi.

Mr Saleshando also recommended setting up a real time dashboard that showed the process of each private members’ bill from the day a Member of Parliament submits an instruction to Parliamentary Counsel, adding that the dashboard should be accessible to the general public too. 

Members of Parliament, he said were accountable to the electorate, hence they should see that their aspirations and needs were well represented. 

The electorate, he said, were more interested in whether Parliament improved their lives and wanted an economy where success was determined by merit rather than connections.

Mr Saleshando said the challenges before Botswana could not be solved with yesterday’s thinking, saying the economy must diversify and institutions must become more transparent and independent. ENDS