This is the way to go

| Tuesday August 4, 2009 00:00

Our independence would always be questionable if we still have our laws written in European languages than our own. The Constitution is the primary legal source of all laws in Botswana and it makes sense that this document be accessible to most if not all Batswana.

It is a mystery why some legislators opposed this motion. Some opposed it on account of  Setswana being a 'highly complex' language such that it will make translation very difficult. This was of course one of the most disingenuous arguments to advance. Any translation is a difficult enterprise.

We even doubt that there is any merit in the assertion that Setswana is a highly complex language. Already the Bible has been translated into Setswana. There is a dictionary of Setswana, too. In fact, there have been many Setswana translations that have been done over the years. With this accumulated experience, we believe Botswana can build on what we already know to produce a better Setswana translation of the Republican Constitution.

Patrick Masimolole is the same gentleman who stunned everyone when he asked Parliament to pass the diabolical Media Practitioners' Bill without debating it but maybe he has learnt his lesson this time around. We want to congratulate him on coming up with the motion.

Election Day
There is yet another motion before Parliament calling on the House to entrench Election Day. Currently, election day is the preserve of the President and, to some extent, his party. The motion seeks to make election day a specific day in the Constitution that everybody will know of well in advance.

This is what democracy is all about; so we want to implore everyone in Parliament to support this motion. We are disappointed that Vice President Mompati Merafhe thinks there are logistical problems to have the day embedded in the Constitution. What logistical problems Mr Vice President?

                                                           Today's thought

Fantastic writing in English is kind of disreputable, but fantastic writing in translation is the summit.

                                                         Jonathan Lethem