Bame Piet
9 June 2008
Members of Parliament (MPs) rejected some of the proposals contained in the Children's Bill of 2008 presented by Local Government minister Margaret Nasha on Friday.
The MPs' objections include the right to privacy for the children and government's plan to have a birth certificate bearing the names of both parents of the child. MPs argued that children are exposed to many things such as drug abuse hence parents can only know that their child is engaged in drugs if they check in children's rooms. South East North MP Olebile Gaborone did not hide his displeasure with the idea, saying if the police searched his house and found weapons that were a threat to national security, he would be held responsible for them.
Gaborone said that there is no way he should not be allowed to go into his children's room and make any enquiries if he feels it is necessary to do so. He suggested that extramural work should be an alternative sentence for mothers who are on breast feeding and facing a jail term.
Assistant Minister of Agriculture and MP for Bobirwa Shaw Kgathi, MP for Mgoditshane Patrick Masimolole, and MP for Kanye South, Calvin Batsile, urged government to make an audit of other laws to avoid contradictions and confusion. It has emerged that the age for attaining adulthood differs in many government departments, hence causing confusion. The age for consent of sex is 16 years; age for voting is 18 years, whilst that for acquiring a plot is 21 years.
MPs also warned government that in making new laws it should not forget the culture of Batswana. MP for Tswapong North and Deputy Speaker Thebe Mogami, and Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration and MP for Molepolole South Daniel Kwelagobe, argued that it would be disastrous for government to demand the names of both parents for the birth certificate.
Mogami said that this has the potential to destroy many families. He said that Batswana have lived with incidents where a family man goes away from home for a long time on work-related assignments only to find that his children have a sibling he did not sire. He said that culturally, the man will accept the child as his and would take legal procedures to bring the perpetrator to book. He said that if the birth certificate for the child bears his biological father's name this could remain a constant painful reminder to the family man. MPs advised that new laws should not be made to destroy but build the nation.
They also disagreed with the idea of giving children the right to freedom of religion, warning that there are religious extremists who use children to push their evil agendas and Botswana should prepare herself for such people.
Gaborone Central MP Dumelang Saleshando appealed to the minister to ensure that the register for paedophiles and other offenders in child-related crimes is not abused. He cited incidents where somebody may use the register to fight his competitors listed therein.
MP for Francistown West Tshelang Masisi, advised government "to do something" about Bazezuru and Asian communities living in Botswana who are not easily accessible even at times of disease outbreaks and there is need for government to vaccinate their children.
MP for Okavango Vista Moruti, accused the government of coming up with "Western laws that will impact badly on Batswana". He said this tendency earns government criticism from the electorate.
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