Parliament poorly resourced
Thursday, April 13, 2017

Dismissive: Boko
Boko, together with other legislators who on Tuesday attended a workshop on strengthening the role of Parliament in the promotion and protection of social and economic and cultural rights, bemoaned the limited capacity of Parliament in the form of constrained resources, thereby hindering its effective oversight function.
Moreover, he said ensuring and upholding human rights was the primary responsibility of any Government. He added that they (rights) cannot be delivered in the form of gifts and freebies from Government. “Human rights are not political artifects or favours to the people. It’s Government’s responsibility to ensure that health, education and other rights are met. If a Government fails to do this, it has lost the basic reason for existence as a Government,” he said, adding that the above is the case with the current regime, characterised by vast inequalities, which he said would soon evoke civil disobedience as in the case of neighbouring South Africa.
As the new Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) government takes charge, it must act decisively to equip the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) with the tools, laws, and resources needed to combat graft. The time for half-measures is over. DCEC Director-General, Botlhale Makgekgenene’s, recent address to the Public Accounts Committee paints a stark picture. Over five years, leadership instability, chronic underfunding and weak...