Botswana: BDP MPs call for constitutional review

Moyo vowed that pushing for constitutional reforms is going to be his main task in the current Parliament. He told Parliament that Africa does not need strong leaders but strong institutions. “We need to make sure that we have strong institutions,” he said. He added that when the current constitution was drafted, none of the legislators was there. “We need to review it. I am going to advocate for that,” he charged.

He said law and order is very important and should apply to everyone. The MP said there should be no selective justice. “We should be very careful when we apply our laws,” he warned.

He said it will be his agenda to see to it that the laws of the country do not discriminate.When he stood to speak, Mmolotsi called on government to review the constitution saying it is outdated and does not protect citizens. He stated that numerous sections of the constitution need to be reviewed to strengthen the democracy of the country.

He said it is worrying for security agents to be involved in the killing of citizens when they are supposed to be protecting them. He called for thorough investigations into the killings and stern action against perpetrators.

Calls by the two MPs for constitutional reforms might have been inspired by the High Court and Court of Appeal ruling that the State President enjoys absolute immunity from court proceedings.

The two courts ruled that Gomolemo Motswaledi could not challenge his suspension from the party and recall as a parliamentary candidate by President Ian Khama because the head of state enjoys blanket immunity from legal proceedings.

Meanwhile, MP for Nkange Edwin Batshu, a former commissioner of police, left a bad impression on his audience yesterday when he nearly displayed his poor grasp of government operations. He struggled to make his points clear fumbling from one topic to another and repeating himself. He said that people in his constituency and many parts of the North East are Batswana and need developments like the rest of the country.

“We are also Batswana and we need developments in our area, incase there was a mistake it should be corrected,” he said.

Batshu called on government to increase the number of special constables in the North East to fight increasing crime. He said that Zimbabweans terrorise people in the area and steal their livestock. He called for the speedy trials to deter would-be criminals.

Mmegi Online