UDC MPs vow �to use force� in Parley
Baboki Kayawe | Wednesday July 8, 2015 18:03
Interestingly, they were joined in their declaration by Botswana Congress Party (BCP) parliamentarian, Bagalatia Arone of Okavango. “From now onward we are going to work as a collective. After party caucuses, we will have a joint opposition caucus to strategise on issues before going to the House.
“We want to become a Parliament that can save our people,” said Arone. Briefing journalists a day after UDC Gaborone Central MP, Phenyo Butale was physically bundled out of Parliament and thrown on the pavement, opposition legislators unanimously declared an all out war for the motion to be tabled.
Also chucked out on Monday was the opposition bloc’s secretary general and Francistown South MP, Wynter Mmolotsi who, however, was not manhandled by the security guards.
In an emotionally charged briefing, UDC leaders said they would resolutely demand answers on the ongoing water and electricity shortages even if it meant being stripped of their dignity.
UDC vice-president, Ndaba Gaolathe said the time for gentleness and botho in addressing matters of national interest “had long gone with the wind”. “We are ready to use force to have the urgent motion on water and power heard or else the House will be brought to a standstill. “These issues have reached a point where they cannot be left to the Ministry of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources alone. “There is need to bring different stakeholders to the fore and have a cross-functional approach in order to get to the bottom of these issues,” he said.
Gaolathe stressed that a dialogue on the matter ought to be forced to ensure that the nation is in a position where there is full understanding of the problem, and that everyone is on the same wavelength. “There is need for water and power for every economy to grow and flourish. How do you do that without these basics here?” he said.
Gaolathe said experts believe resolving the water and power crises could take between P50 billion and P100 billion, without elaborating on the sources for his figures.
For his part, Butale vowed to redouble his resolve in Parliament, saying he was aware some commentators believed he should have walked out, instead of being carried out by Parliament police.
“I am not going to walk away from my responsibility and duty to serve the people of Gaborone Central,” he said. Butale said the manner in which the deputy speaker handled the matter was unprocedural. In dismissing Butale’s attempt to have an urgent motion on the water and electricity heard, Molatlhegi said Selebi Phikwe West legislator, Dithapelo Keorapetse of the BCP, had already filed a similar question.
However, Butale countered at the press briefing that questions and motions were distinctly different under Parliament’s Standing Orders. “The questions that will be answered in this Parliament have been noticed months back. Even Keorapetse’s question was noticed in the past session. “If this motion takes that route, it may come in the next Parliament because of the backlog; hence the urgency. We believe Parliament can’t proceed to discuss anything else as we are of the view that any other issue is secondary to this.”