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Botswana: Parliamentary Motions Between 1998 And 2008 (Mogae Legacy)
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Mmegi/The Reporter (Gaborone)
COLUMN
31 March 2008
Posted to the web 31 March 2008
Bame Piet
President Festus Mogae was inaugurated on April 1, 1998 and leaves on March 31, 2008. During his tenure Members of Parliament (MPs) had ideas in the form of motions through which they wanted to assist in the development of the country.
Between 1998 and 2008 MPs from both the ruling party and opposition proposed 217 motions, the majority of which were never debated. According to records from Parliament, only nine motions were adopted during the current Ninth Parliament, while the status of others is unknown.
However, during the Eighth Parliament, MP for Gaborone West South (then Gaborone West) tabled a motion calling for the appointment of a commission of inquiry into the allocation of some residential and commercial plots in Gaborone. The commission was appointed and it emerged that some malls, schools, filling stations, and residential areas were built on plots allocated under dubious circumstances. The Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) and Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) have charged some culprits and shelved other cases.
One other motion adopted was moved by Specially Elected MP Botsalo Ntuane requesting government to hold in abeyance the implementation of the proposed regulations of the 2003 Liquor Act. It was only during this time that the number of people in the public gallery exceeded 100. The motion also came at the height of Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) factional fights and then MPs Daniel Kwelagobe and Gaotlhaetse Matlhabaphiri spoke openly against the proposed regulations. They called for thorough consultations with the public and other concerned parties.
The other motion that came at the height of BDP factions in 2005 was that by then MP for Mmadinare Ponatshego Kedikilwe, now Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources calling on Ministry of Local Government to abolish the system of nominating Councillors.
The BDP legislators supported the motion saying it had lost its initial intension adding that it was being used to console BDP supporters. Some BDP MPs, among them Kwelagobe, revealed that the system was in the past used to cripple opposition parties. There are currently 101 nominated councillors and the MPs calculated their salaries and allowances estimated at P2million every month. They further complained that the money went up to over P10million, which could have been spent on building necessary facilities such as hospitals and schools. The debate on the motion was never completed, as Kedikilwe was later appointed minister.
At the beginning of last year, some MPs were not happy with the award of big tenders to foreign owned companies at the expense of citizen owned companies. The then MP for Palapye Boyce Sebetela tabled a motion requesting government to develop and implement of a National Citizen Contractors/Skill Capacity Rating System. The motion provoked emotions from MPs who bitterly complained about some civil servants, accusing them of jealousy and sidelining fellow Batswana and favouring foreigners. They even gave example of some parastatals that would hire expatriates paying them huge salaries only to cut the salary by three quarters when a Motswana took over the post. The motion was adopted.
As recent as last month Botswana National Front (BNF) MP for Gaborone South Akanyang Magama requested government to amend Sections 32 and 35 of the Constitution of Botswana to adopt the system of direct election of the state president instead of the current automatic succession system. BDP MPs rejected the motion, saying the current system has worked well for Botswana. They cautioned that the direct election has bitter consequences as experienced in other African countries. Magama was not so disappointed with the outcome saying he knew they (BDP legislators) were not going to support it.
Another motion that attracted public attention was that by the then Sebina/Gweta MP Olifant Mfa, calling for investigations into allegations of irregularities at the Student Placement and Welfare in the Ministry of Education. The report was made but the public was barred from accessing it.
A motion by Gaborone Central MP Dumelang Saleshando, calling on government to consider exempting food and other basic necessities from Value Added Tax (VAT) was adopted with huge support from MPs from both the ruling party and opposition parties. The MP tabled another motion requesting government to review the mandate of the Botswana Housing Corporation (BHC) to provide housing to medium, middle class and low income earners was successfully adopted by the House.
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When President Mogae leaves on Tuesday there will be over 15 pending motions.
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