Govt to implement moral report immediately

MONKAGEDI GAOTLHOBOGWE
Staff Writer | Friday March 12, 2010 00:00

 

The National Strategy for the Promotion of Good Social Values has been approved through a presidential directive on the report by the joint advisory committee of ntlo ya dikgosi and the Botswana Council of Churches on social values.The report emanates from the 2008 Presidential Taskforce chaired by kgosi Puso Gaborone.

Members of Ntlo Ya dikgosi were told this week that having carefully considered the Joint Advisory Committee's report, Cabinet had approved the majority of its recommendations through a Presidential Directive endorsing the White Paper.  The same directive further defines the administrative and institutional framework for monitoring and implementing the Joint Committee's accepted recommendations, said a release from government spokesman Jeff Ramsay, quoting Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration Lesego, Motsumi this week.

The Minister informed the assembled Dikgosi at the Grand Palm workshop that it had been mandated that regular reports on the implementation of the strategy be submitted to Cabinet through the Minister's Office. As a result, two sets of progress reports from concerned Ministries have already been submitted, in August and December of 2009, while the next report is due in April 2010. The white paper sets forth possible strategies for addressing the social ills that are eroding the social values of Botswana. It also outlines government responses to the conclusions and recommendations of the Joint Advisory Committee of Ntlo Ya Dikgosi and the Botswana Council of Churches on social values. The paper also defines the administrative and institutional framework for monitoring and implementing the strategies for addressing the identified social ills.

The Joint Advisory Committee of Ntlo Ya Dikgosi and the Botswana Council of Churches was appointed by President Khama following concerns and the realization that our value systems, both traditional and Christian, were being compromised and eroded by other value systems. 'This has resulted in Batswana generally replacing good traits of respect with self destructive and anti-social behaviours, poor discipline and low self esteem'.

The terms of reference of the committee were to consult with the public on social ills afflicting the nation and recommend strategies for addressing such ills, to determine the causes of social ills that afflict our communities such as domestic violence, rape, child abuse, youth indiscipline, etc, as well as to determine the role that can be played by traditional leaders and other community leaders in re-instilling the good social values and to recommend to government possible strategies for addressing such ills.

The white paper has accepted 24 recommendations without amendments as well as recommendations with amendments, while 11 recommendations also involved ongoing efforts to tackle the challenges mentioned.The white paper also states which government ministry will be responsible for driving a particular action. Where the recommendation is rejected, it is also stated why it was not accepted.Amongst them, the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Attorney General's Chambers, Ministry of State President (Botswana Police), will review the liquor act to increase the drinking age for alcohol consumption from 18 to 21 years and that there be a mandatory requirement on entry of liquor premises, including nightclubs and festivals to prove the age of patrons.Dikgosi have been tasked to reintroduce regiments, mephato, in all their communities as this has been very helpful in discipline, peer education, and upbringing of children and could also be done during the school holidays.The Ministries of State President, Attorney General's chambers, and Local Government would ensure that each morafe determines its lobola price according to their cultural practices and that dikgosi should monitor and encourage merafe to allow marriage to proceed where the in-laws cannot afford to pay lobola, while the Ministries of Education and Skills Development and Local government shall among others encourage tribes to document their customary practices for information and reference purposes.The white paper also says the flogging of people at ward level for disciplinary purposes will be re-introduced with dikgosana (minor chiefs) empowered to administer corporal punishment and deal with minor offences such as use of insulting language at ward level. The flogging will be on the bare back. Teachers will once again be allowed to administer corporal punishment on pupils or students showing deviant behaviour.

The chiefs will have the mandate to control and maintain law and order in their respective communities.Meanwhile, the Office of the President has deferred the adoption of other recommendations pending consultations. These include enactment of a law to regulate cohabitation. The task force recommended that a law be introduced to provide that after a period of 12 months, a couple living together should be recognized as married. Parents should be involved in the process as in customary marriage.

Meanwhile the white paper has rejected the recommendation to introduce a national dress code to be adopted in order to guide and provide standards that Batswana can practice with dignity and pride within the context of our national identity.Rejecting the recommendation, the white paper says it is not right to prescribe how people should dress as long as they are not dressed in an indecent manner. Prescribing a national dress code and a national dress would not reduce the incidence of rape.

A national dress is worn at certain occasions, mostly formal or official and therefore not everybody would have the opportunity to wear or may want to wear it. Furthermore local communities have the prerogative in prescribing attire within their own traditions considered acceptable at their local kgotla, the white paper says. The white paper also rejected as not workable the recommendation that rite of passage programmes be developed that are specifically geared at the holistic growth of the pubescent individual through the development of the mind, emotions and spirit to be scheduled to occur during certain portions of the school vacation.The white paper also rejected the recommendation that Common Law be aligned to Customary Law.

Another interesting recommendation, which was rejected, pushed for the removal of registration of religious bodies from the Societies Act, and instead a new Religious Organisation Act for religious bodies be introduced. They also pushed for a regulatory body for churches with semi judicious powers to regulate religious registration, pastors and requisite disciplinary among religious organizations and practitioners.

The task force also pushed for decentralization of decision-making processes for some of the churches whose headquarters are in foreign lands, so that they can contribute meaningfully to the economy of the country.