14 Jul 2026

Parliament of Botswana operates under financial constraints, which limit Members of Parliament (MPs) ability to serve citizens effectively, Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr Dithapelo Keorapetse has said. 

“Parliament’s proposed funding remains a small fraction of the national budget at just 0.2 per cent of the overall budget. This includes a recurrent budget of P206 million, barely 0.2 per cent of the P91,265,983,275 billion total, and a development budget proposal of P8 million, which represents a marginal 0.03 per cent of P23.38 billion in the 2026/2027 financial year,” he said at the inaugural official opening of the Third Meeting of the Second Session of the 13th Parliament in Gaborone on Monday.

He therefore said Parliament could not effectively fulfil its Constitutional responsibilities or offer the necessary representation, oversight and leadership that democracy required if it lacked resources. 

Reflecting on the last 20 months, Mr Keorapetse said the 13th Parliament started operation amidst serious economic challenges. 

However, he indicated that it would face challenges with unity and determination, acknowledging that government took office under difficult economic conditions. 

Moreover, Mr Keorapetse said the composition of Parliament, which was 69 MPs; including the President and the Speaker, revealed both continuity and concerning trends in the nation’s democratic representation.

The low number of women MPs, he indicated, adversely affected decision-making on women’s issues in Oversight Committees and inter-parliamentary bodies, risking the development of policies that neglected the delicate needs of the population and undermined inclusive governance principles.

“The current Parliament includes only six female MPs, representing 8.7 per cent of the total membership, which is a decline from the nine female MPs who constituted 11 per cent of the 12th Parliament,” Mr Keorapetse noted, adding that the decrease was a decline in gender equity in political leadership. 

Among the current members there are 21 returning MPs, comprising 20 males and one female, in addition 46 first-time MPs, which included 41 males and five females, now occupying seats in the chamber. 

Mr Keorapetse emphasised urgent need for enhanced capacity-building initiatives aimed at supporting and promoting female representation within the House.

Meanwhile, Mr Keorapetse said with only a limited number of MPs relative to other countries in the region such as Mauritius, Namibia, Seychelles, and Lesotho, Botswana needed 100 MPs at most given its geographical challenges.

He said challenges, which included long distances between wards and constituencies, made it difficult and expensive for MPs to connect with their constituents, as illustrated by specific travel costs and time; highlighting the significant burden on MPs in Botswana. ENDS