Rule of Law

When President Boko says that Parliament’s core function is to make laws, he is right, and most reasonable wo/men agree. The reason I agree is because for fifty-eight (58) years I have heard it repeated over and over again by our then ruling party, the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) that our country was governed according to the rule of law, therefore one would assume that the making of those laws was the core function of Parliament even under BDP rule! But was it?

The reason I ask is because as I write, the BDP is gathering in Maun, the tourism capital of Botswana, to elect new leaders. But as I look at the recently published list of prospective leaders, I see among them, Messrs Slumber Tsogwane, Mpho Balopi and Nonofo Molefi. Each of these three gentlemen has been a member of at least one parliament before. In the case of Slumber Tsogwane, probably as many as four (4) parliaments before. One parliament lasts for five years!

So, if parliament’s core function has been the making of laws over the last fifty eight years of BDP rule, which if any, of the three gentlemen acquired any formal legal training whatsoever during their tenure in Parliament? I am assuming of course (and I could be wrong) that none of them already had formal legal training in law (certificate, diploma or degree) when they entered parliament. If my assumption is wrong about any of them, then my last question does not apply to such an individual. But to those about whom my assumption is correct, my last question stands: – what formal legal qualification did YOU obtain while you were a member of parliament (MP)? If none, then please stand aside, because you evidently do not believe in the rule of law. The country cannot risk having a President who assigns such a low priority to competence in law! 

We have several formal law schools in the country. If memory serves me right some of those schools even offer evening classes, including in law. Therefore if an MP really wanted to acquire skills that would make him/her efficient at analysing the possible consequences of a bill that he/she is about to pass in parliament, the tools are available! 

In conclusion what I am saying here is this: If Mr. Slumber Tsogwane has no formal law qualifications, don’t elect him to be leader of the BDP, similarly for both Mr Balopi and Mr Molefi; do not elect them leaders of BDP if they don’t have a formal law qualification!