Mixed feelings about constitutional review
LERATO MALEKE
Correspondent
| Tuesday March 13, 2012 00:00
Among others, the Bakgatla sovereign enjoys the qualified support of the MP for Kgatleng East, Isaac Mabiletsa, who is an advocate of transforming the constitution rather than setting it aside.Mabiletsa says he fears that there would be a crisis if the country's constitution was set aside. Mmegi took the opportunity to have conversations with people at the Gaborone bus station where most people seemed to be ignorant on the subject.
Much of this ignorance, it emerged, emanated from oblivion that seems to be induced by the word 'constitution' itself and its Setswana translation as 'molao-motheo.' It became clear that the exercise might have fared better had the subject been the Penal Code. Twenty-seven year-old Tepo Bathokebafe is not an exception to the nescience. Bathokebafe, who works, as a groundsman, couldn't understand what the fuss was about, saying the constitution - whatever it was - needed no tampering with. But how do you say something is good when you don't understand it? 'Never mind,' he said.
'At this moment, I understand one thing very clearly. I am P1 short to get a taxi to go somewhere important.'First year Business Management student at GIPS, 21-year-old Kesego Kewakeng, sees no problem with the constitution. ' It's fine and needs no amending,' he says. 'If we change it, it will cause tribalism and people will fight.'Maitumelo Mosala (25) works as a call centre agent for cellular giant Mascom. She holds that a constitutional review would not result in any material change in people's lives.'Constitution? Wait a minute, yes, it needs to be transformed,' Mosala said on second thoughts. She believes 'outsiders invented the irrelevant' document. 'We want our own constitution that reflects our collective agreement.' John Letsholo, a bus driver is his 50s, thinks the constitution is fine. 'It is ours and I disagree that it is the work of white people,' he said. 'For instance, I support automatic succession to the presidency and would be unhappy if it was tampered with.'Judith Dichabe agrees with Letsholo.
'We are what we are because of the same constitution,' she noted. 'Why do we have to change it now?' This cleaner at the Department of Water Affairs in Gaborone suddenly breaks into praise for the founders of the republic for giving Batswana a good constitution.Like Mosala and Bathokebafe, she feels change to the constitution would bring problems. 'We would suffer and start skipping fences like our neighbours,' she said.Infact, Dichabe wants more power for the President.'He is the first citizen and he must command respect,' she said. 'Ke mong wa lefatshe.'