22 Aug 2024

Parliament has continued to pass Bills in its efforts to improve the country’s laws to align with government and people’s aspirations as well as changes in the society.

On Tuesday, Parliament passed five Bills which included the National Registration (Amendment) Bill, an Act to amend the National Registration Act.

The Bill was amended at clause 14, amending section 20 of the Act which would now provide for the Registrar or any officer employed in the National Registration Office to process personal in accordance with provisions of the Data Protection Act.

Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Honourable Annah Mokgethi explained to Parliament that the amendment intended to align the provisions of the National Registration Act with those of the Data Protection (Amendment) Bill.

The Births and Deaths Registration Bill which sought to enact the Births and Deaths Registration Act to regulate the registration of births, still-births and deaths and for all related matters was also passed by the National Assembly.

An amendment was moved at clause 16 (2)(b) to allow one to change the forename or forenames of a minor or any person where the forename was demeaning or stigmatised their dignity.

Other Bills that sailed through included the High Court Amendment Bill, which would subsequently amend the High Court Act as well as the Deputy Sheriffs Bill, which would provide for, among others the appointment, supervision, monitoring and regulation of the conduct of deputy sheriffs, establishment of a board and a Fidelity Fund for deputy sheriffs.

On one hand, the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill which sought to amend the Citizenship Act was also passed, with amendments to some clauses, particularly that which dealt with registration of adopted children.

An amendment moved by Member of Parliament of Kanye North, Mr Thapelo Letsholo was adopted to be part of the Bill to require any citizen of Botswana who acquired foreign citizenship formally or voluntarily to notify the minister within a reasonable time.

Initially the clause provided for any Botswana citizen who desired to acquire foreign citizenship, formally or voluntarily, to notify the minister of their intention to do so.

Mr Letsholo argued that the minister should not be notified of one’s desire but on the applications that had been processed.

“I want to assume that such a person will notify the minister upon acquisition to inform the country that they now have a citizenship of a foreign country.

“What is vital is for the country to know the numbers of people given citizenship of other countries not recording the numbers of those intending to apply. Some might have intention and end up not applying,” he said. ENDS