05 May 2024

The Constitutional amendments proposing that members of Ntlo ya Dikgosi be elected along district demarcations rather than tribal territories was meant to cater for diverse representation in the house.

This was said by Minister for State President, Mr Kabo Morwaeng during the Ntlo ya Dikgosi debate on the Constitutional Amendment Bill on Thursday.

The minister said the proposal, now part of Constitutional amendments was brought about by Batswana during the Commission of Enquiry into the Review of the Constitution.

Mr Morwaeng indicated that the proposal was also meant to facilitate increase of representatives in the house.

“The proposal is that there will be two representatives from each district, and those will be supplemented by the 10 that will be specially elected by the President, which will take the representatives of the house from the current 33 to 66,” he said.

Mr Morwaeng also allayed dikgosi’s fears that the 10 specially elected ones will be political appointees since they will be chosen by the President, and that Members of Parliament will take decisions without engaging them.

“The President is well aware of the functions of this house, so he cannot appoint anyone to it who does not perform or does not know the functions of Bogosi. Even though Parliament is the final decision-making body in terms of making the laws, they are a responsible lot and will not take any decisions that affect Magosi without consulting them,” he said.

Mr Morwaeng also said existing norms and practices, although not written, could be used to determine district representatives.

Mr Morwaeng also said it would be a difficult task to have each and every tribe represented in the house since the number of tribes in Botswana was still uncertain, hence rendering the proposed districts representation the best criteria available.

He was responding after some dikgosi raised concerns that the proposed practice of selecting members of Ntlo ya Dikgosi will dilute the status of the house and the purity of Bogosi. ENDS