He explained that constitutional amendments require a specific period to mature. “This decision carries with it the advantage that other planned amendments to the Constitution may then be effected in the same Bill, rather than resorting to piecemeal amendments,” he said.
As part of the exercise to render the Constitution tribally neutral, Mogae said Section 13 (c), which inappropriately refers to “Bushmen”, will be removed.
He said in addition to the proposed use of gender-neutral expressions throughout the Constitution, “sex” will be added in Section 15.
Mogae also briefed Parliament about the progress that has been made in the long-awaited restructuring of the Attorney General’s Chambers. He said the proposals would also require some constitutional amendments.
“In response to requests over the years from many of you, it is proposed to provide Parliament with a dedicated Senior Parliamentary Counsel on a full time basis. This will release the Attorney General from Parliamentary duties to concentrate on delivery in the justice system. We also hope to install a constitutionally protected Director of Public Prosecutions, who will spearhead the recovery from the Botswana Police over a period of time of their part of the prosecution function. This in turn should release, in the fullness of time, some 300 Police Officers presently involved in prosecutions, to their core function of eliminating crime from our streets and neighbourhoods.
“One of the strengths of our democracy is that on issues relating to the development of our laws and the general well-being of Batswana, there is broad consensus among our political parties for the common good. I am therefore confident that the proposed reforms to our constitutional dispensation will proceed as planned,” said Mogae.
He also indicated that he would dissolve Parliament at an appropriate time and call for general elections before the end of the year. Mogae’s speech was an anti-climax of sorts because it did not make the “important announcement” that some people had expected on the report of the Lesetedi Commission on State Land Allocation in Gaborone.
