Tobacco Control Bill shelved
Wednesday, August 09, 2017

Dorcus Makgato.PIC: MORERI SEJAKGOMO
The Minister of Health and Wellness, Dorcas Makgato, had promised the National Tobacco Control Conference when officially opening the event on July 10 that the Bill would be taken to Parliament during that week subsequent to Cabinet approval.
However, the draft law, whose purpose is to align local tobacco control efforts with the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), did not go through as planned for the mid-July Parliament.
Kabo Morwaeng, a senior BDP figure known for always defending the President and also sent to do some shocking stuff in his capacity as a Minister, has defended the former Cabinet against claims it failed to advise ex-president Mokgweetsi Masisi, contributing to the party’s defeat. While he insists Cabinet discussions are “secret” and that the President holds “enormous power,” his defence misses a crucial point: Batswana deserve leaders...