Deft hand needed in Societies Bill debate
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Offences include operating an illegal society, soliciting collections while operating an illegal society and allowing an illegal society to operate on your premises. In addition, foreigners registering religious organisations in Botswana will be required to prove that at least two thirds of their membership are Batswana and resident in Botswana.
The State says the amendments are primarily to update the 43 year old law in recognition of the larger population of religious organisations as well as the sinister ‘mushrooming’ of churches led by charismatic foreign leaders, which in some cases are suspected to be swindling Batswana.
The recent disclosure by the IEC that 2,513 registrations have been turned down due to various irregularities should prompt all Batswana to meticulously review the voters' rolls and address concerns about rejected registrations.The disparities flagged by the IEC are troubling and emphasise the significance of rigorous voter registration processes.Out of the rejected registrations, 29 individuals were disqualified due to non-existent Omang...