Irate MPs to confront Boko over ‘hurtful’ remarks

Spira Tlhankane | Monday March 24, 2025 14:12

Speaking at the High-Level Business Engagement Forum in Gaborone recently, Boko criticised legislators for not focusing on making laws that make doing business easier. “You see a lot of showboating taking place on the floor of Parliament, a lot of grandstanding, a lot of intellectual vacuity, people not doing what they’re supposed to do. They are asking questions, moving motions - what motions, what questions? Your job is to make laws; when you make laws, you bind the Executive,” Boko said.

As they were itching to respond to what Boko said, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Dithapelo Keorapetse, advised that it was not the appropriate time to do such. Keorapetse advised MPs to deal with the Committee of Supply and use the appropriate forum being General Assembly where Boko can avail himself. “I know legislators are furious about these issues but let's address this at the right platform,” he said. Keorapetse said this after some irate MPs had indicated that they do not agree with Boko attacking them on the wrong platforms where they cannot defend themselves. Maun East legislator, Goretetse Kekgonegile, said they cannot just focus on Bills ad motions but they also have to ask questions because the latter motivates the resolution of problems. Speaking of questions, Boko had said that MPs spend 90% of their time in Parliament asking inconsequential questions like asking when a window of a classroom at Mogoditshane Senior Secondary is going to be fixed. “You have brought this to Parliament about a window? We are not saying it must not be fixed but is this the right forum? Could you not go to the right authorities and tell them to fix it? You want to go to Parliament and spend time and temporal and financial resources so that people debate the fixing of a window?” Boko questioned.

Defending their questions, Kekgonegile emphasised that the questions they bring to Parliament are people’s concerns. Kekgonegile said the UDC government was once on the opposition side and some of their questions were worse than asking about windows. Kekgonegile revealed that in his constituency there was a road accident recently which claimed lives yet Boko does not want them as MPs to ask questions about roads and other issues that affect the lives of constituents. “The President was an MP so I don’t know if he had ever asked a question or ever come up with any motion,” he said. An enraged Mogoditshane West MP, Galenawabo Lekau, said executive issues should not be imposed on Parliament. “It is totally wrong to bring things here as if they are correct when we all know it affects MPs. It is improper to come to Parliament and talk about issues from the executive so let’s desist from doing that,” he emphasised. However, Moswaane defended Boko saying that Boko is not against asking questions in Parliament but rather insists that MPs must put forward well-researched questions.

“He said questions should be focusing on policies on programmes,” Moswaane said. Boko had blamed the business community for some of the plight they found themselves in. “I want you to put pressure on your MPs and say ‘the reason we are in this quagmire is because you are not doing your job; not passing laws that make it easy for us to do business. My goodness! I have called it ‘time theft,” he highlighted.